Machinations - The Red Sith Saga, Part Two
by OrangeGalen
Summary: Dark forces change the fate of the Galaxy. An old foe emerges and his very presence threatens the stability of the Galaxy. Both Sith and Jedi must deal with this common enemy, but criss-crossing strings of deception flow in every direction as everyone tries to get ahead. But there is one hand that controls the most strings; the common enemy, Darkover, the pureblood Sith. (Sequal)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everybody, this is OrangeGalen with the second part of my own personal Star Wars story. If you haven't read the first part, do so now. It's called Star Wars: The Clone Wars-Emergence [The Red Sith Saga, Part One]**

**Still here? Good, now enjoy the much better second part. **

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**Disclamer: I do not own anything Star Wars in any shape or form. However, I do own my OC's. **

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This part takes place in-between "Point of No Return" and "Revival" of Season 5. 20 BBY.

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_Deciphering the plot! After the foiled attempt to destroy Valor space station and the successful return of D- Squad, the Jedi council now has the Separatist decryption module. With this, they can decipher the transmission sent by General Grievous and find out what the message contained. Hoping to discover how the Separatists knew about the strategy conference, the Jedi council is relying on this transmission to hold a clue as to where the information came from._

_Elsewhere in the galaxy, a fierce debate over the war is brewing. Two sides in the Separatist Senate, one that supports a peaceful resolution with the Republic and the other that wants to continue the war, are at a head in a series of heated debates. But dark forces are about to collide during these times, and the result will change the course of the war and change the fates of many people on both sides…._

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_Raxus Secundus: Separatist Senate Building_

The Senate was in an uproar. Once again, calm debate and logical reasoning had turned into jeering and finger pointing. Most of the people in the building were on their feet and were yelling for either a vote or at other members of the Senate. Only a select few were standing still and calm displaying little emotion other than slight amusement at the scene around them. Bec Lawise, the Congress Leader, was trying to get some semblance of order in the hall and was having some success, but it was slow going as people kept getting dragged back into the verbal fray. Many people in the guest box were talking to each other and shaking their heads, disgusted at this chaos. Count Dooku, who was attending via hologram, was silent during this, having no wish at the moment to resolve the loosely termed debate going on.

The main confrontation had started between Senators Voe Atell and Kerch Kushi and was continuing on besides the noise. For the third time, the topic of sending a peace delegation to the Republic was being debated. But unlike the other two times, it was hotly contested this time by the majority of the members. Circumstances, both past and present, were having an affect on the decisions of every senator. There were only a few currently still clinging to the hope of a peace delegation, but they were vocal and persistent enough that a debate had been called for. After the opening comments, insults and jeers were started to be thrown by both sides, and eventually the senate ended up in this current messy act.

"Senators! Please! Calm yourselves!" Bec Lawise was saying, who had been trying to restore order for the past ten minuets. "There is no need to fight amongst ourselves!"

"Exactly!" Voe Atoll exclaimed from her position on the floor of the Separatist Parliament, "We should be concentrating our efforts on fighting the Republic, not extending peace to them!"

"But now is the time to renew peace talks!" Kerch Kushi said, who was standing across the table from Atell. "In light of our recent victories in the mid rim, the Republic was forced to spend valuable resources reconquering a few of the systems we took, while we wasted little resources and still hold many of those same systems. We are in a better position than the Republic and we can use this as leverage for the talks!"

"That is the same reason the Republic will not discuss any talks with us! They won't back down from this war and neither should we! We are winning, and we should capitalize on it by striking deeper at the Republic!"

"And shatter any hope for a peace? We should not be so hasty and ruin this opportunity for peace!"

"Peace? We have already tried twice for peace! The first time we extended our hand, Mina Bonteri, the same person who sponsored the proposal, was brutally murdered by an underhanded Republic attack! The second time, her traitorous son, Lux disrupted the talks and they haven't been renewed since. The Republic is not interested in peace!

"Anybody who wants peace with the Republic," she said to the turmoil, "look back and ask yourself, "Do we want to negotiate with people who will kill those who offer peace?" We should not!"

The crowd got louder as more and more people voiced their opinions, about the debate or about their fellow senators. The hall was ringing with the ferocity of the voices yelling and Bec Lawise trying to shout above everyone else.

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_Ah, but it is hard for your voice to be heard over so many who are also trying to be heard,_ Count Dooku thought. He was onboard the ship _Invisible Hand_ listening and watching the Senate meeting through a holographic projection.

_Politics here are no different than anywhere else in the galaxy. Those fools actually think they control the Confederacy and that they can do what they want. If that were allowed then my master's plan would fall apart and that would end the dream of a new Sith Empire._

However as he watched, he reminded himself that there was no way this group of politicians could ever hope to get true power. _They are all puppets, one way or another, of the Sith. Without guidance they will have no idea what to do. By the time they realize this simple fact it will be too late._ That thought almost brought a smile to his lips, but he maintained his look of concern mixed with slight disinterest. _A mask over my true face and intentions. Soon it will fall and I will reveal myself as who I truly am. But for now, I must play my part as Head of State Count Dooku. I will let this go on a little further, and then I will speak and say that we must continue this war. If this war stops, the Jedi will survive and we will likely be uncovered as the Sith Lords and be executed by the Jedi._

The noise reached a high as the two sides tried to overpower the other. Dooku turned down the audio on his end. Secretly he wished that some of them showed a little more backbone so things would go smoother. _The thing with puppets is that they need to be constantly controlled and supervised, otherwise they will do nothing. It's quite irritating, especially at times like this._

As he was watching, he noticed that Kerch Kushi was acting slightly out of character. _He has a dislike for Voe Atell and what she represents, that is true, but he is trying too hard to be heard. He would normally have stopped and backed down by now, and not continue this confrontation. What's he playing at?_

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"I urge you to hear me out on this!" Kushi exclaimed to the senate, "Why do we need to fight when we can accomplish our goals through peace? We should stop expanding the production of new droids and pursue a common goal with the Republic: the end of this war. "

"That is the one thing the Republic does not share anymore! They won't stop this war until the Confederacy is ruined! They only want to see us executed as traitors!" Voe continued.

"That may be! But we must try and…" He was cut off by a large section of the senate booing at him. Kushi was starting to get flustered. He didn't want to be here this long, but the admiral who came up with this plan told him to stay out there until he gave the signal on his communicator. But the signal hadn't been given and Kush was almost out of steam. _Must keep this up just a little longer. It can't be too long now. _A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his head.

_He's cracking_, Voe Atell thought, _he can't keep up with the pressure. He's mine now._ "Senators! Hear me! I say for the good of the Confederacy that we must continue the war effort and continue attacking the Republic while we still have the advantage!"

There was just enough of a dip in the volume that Bec Lawise took his chance. "Order! Senators, please! Control yourselves!" The noise petered away and senators began to get a grip on themselves. "Now is not the time for such a display. Are we not the representatives of the Confederacy of Independent Systems? Should we act in such a way as we just did?" More people seemed to realize this and be slightly embarrassed, or at least annoyed. Surveying the scene, Lawise deemed it calm enough to proceed.

"Now everyone here deserves a chance to be heard. Let us hear the rest of what senator Kushi has to say before moving on." He finished with a slight sneer. He personally did not support peace with the Republic, but he wanted to put on a good show for the Senate before shooting down his proposal.

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The silence in the hall was deafening after the noise the Senate produced. Kushi felt the eyes of everyone here on him and he was tempted, just for a moment, to sit down and be done with it. He cleared his throat instead. Another bead of sweat came down. "Thank you Congress Leader Bec Lawise." He suddenly heard a soft beeping. He looked down and saw that his communicator was flashing. Silently relieved, he thought, _Thank God,_ _he_ _finally wants to talk_. "Now, as I was saying, we should pursue a diplomatic way to end this war. We have pursued this in the past with very little success, and the talks have either broken down or never got started in the first place. I suggest that we look into starting new peace talks with the Republic.

"However, this does not mean that we will give way on anything." He said, slightly louder as the noise started to grow again. "In fact, it will be the Republic _itself_ that will call the meeting and want to make peace with us." There was more murmuring at this. "To elaborate further, we have with us here today, the very person who originally came up with this proposal, and one that I support fully." He turned to where Lawise was seated. "If I may?" Lawise cautiously nodded, curious to see where this was leading. Even Count Dooku seemed interested now as he seemed to give the senate more attention.

"Senators, allow me to present the one behind this new peace movement, and one of our most distinguished military leaders: Admiral Darkover." He turned towards the guest box and a figure in a dark cloak stood up and started walking down to the floor. The murmuring increased.

"An admiral? Here?"

"I heard he was killed in action at Bothawui."

"This must be important if he decided to come back from the front lines."

Count Dooku spoke quietly to Bec Lawise. _"What is he doing here?"_

"I don't know, but I guess we will soon find out." Bec replied.

"I don't like surprises Lawise."

Bec shook his head. "Neither do I. We could stop him before he speaks."

"In front of the entire Senate? If we remove him it will be seen as silencing the opposition, which is illegal according to the By-Laws of the Confederacy." He shook his head, "No, for now we have to listen and hear what he has to say."

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By this time, the robed figure had moved down from the guest seating and was making his way to the floor. As he made his way down people shuffled out of his way and there was a gap for him to walk down. Kushi, who had stepped back away from his stand to, pulled up a chair behind the figure and sat down in it, grateful to be out of the hot seat.

The senate grew quiet as the figure reached the stand. He reached up and pulled back his hood, casting away the shadows and revealing his crimson face to the senate. His pair of cheek tendrils hung down, slightly curled, and his yellow eyes shone with the glowing sun that was reflected through the window. He radiated an aura of power and authority, and in the minds of most he seemed to grow larger while the others around him shrunk in his presence. At this moment there was only one individual who was important. Kerch Kushi? He was just a figurehead, the symbol for something larger. Bec Lawise; he was an extra faceless background actor that is onstage during a play. Even Count Dooku, arguably the sole founder of the Confederacy, was now only the patron that the show really was performed for. These notable men were there only to make his appearance even grander. They may think they can control the scene, but he was the writer, the author, and now the publisher.

"Greetings senators, I am Admiral Darkover."

And with that simple phrase, the magic of the spell was broken. The results still lingered, but the thing that was entrancing the senate was gone. Hushed whisperings were heard throughout the hall and there was some shuffling as people seemed to remember they were still there. A few weren't moving and were trying to preserve the spell that had mystified them. But the strength of it waned and more and more came to realize that they were senators, once again performing their duties to the Confederacy.

Voe Atell seemed to come around the fastest. She blinked a few times before returning to her senses, and then she felt angry. "Why is there a military commander here? This session is only for members of the senate…"

"And invited guests." Darkover finished her sentence. "Senator Kushi was kind enough to invite me to this meeting, and I accepted his invitation." There was intense whisperings throughout the hall and quite a few threatening looks were sent Kushi's way. Kushi himself sat firmly in his seat, but wanted to melt away into it. Darkover seemed oblivious to this going on around him. His face maintained a calm demeanor and he remained in a parade rest stance behind the stand.

"Senators," He called to those assembled, "I come before you, not as part of the military, but as a fellow citizen concerned for the well being of the Confederacy. We have been at war with the Republic for close to two and a half years now. During these years, many battles have been fought. Systems have been won and lost, and many lives have been claimed during this conflict. The afore mentioned Mina Bonteri is one such example. But casualties are to be expected in war, and that is an unchangeable fact of life.

"But how long should these loses continue? How long do we fight until we have what we want? Do we fight until both the Confederacy and the Republic are so exhausted to lift a blaster? Or do we hope that by destroying the Republic we will gain our independence? In this case, independence from what? If the Republic is destroyed, who will take its place? It would have to be us. We will have to be the ones to take its place as the centralized government of the Galaxy. And if we do, then we will only inherit the problems the Republic had. The very same problems that were the reasons we separated from it the first place: corruption, greed, and gridlock."

Bec Lawise snorted from his stand. "Hah! You suggest that if we win, we will only become as corrupt as the Republic?" He shook his head, "That is the reason we separated, to rid ourselves of such problems that have plagued the Republic for years."

"And do you think that our system is any better?" Darkover countered. "Is it not based off of the Republic's form of government? Is this not a representative democracy? I haven't seen any evidence to support your claim, Congress Leader Lawise," he said in a slightly mocking tone, "especially after that pitiful scene this Senate put on a few minuets ago." There were angry voices heard throughout the hall. Some members present didn't like being insulted like this, but others thought about what Darkover had just said. There was some truth to the words he spoke.

"No government in charge of the galaxy will ever be free of corruption." Darkover continued. "There are too many differing viewpoints, too many disagreements, and too many ambitions. Something or someone will give way and then the corruption spreads like a plague.

"But throughout history, when the plague becomes too noticeable to hide, a select few will come into power and replace the corruption with a new government, such as we have done here. But it will never last and the cycle will begin anew once again.

"However, I have a solution that will break this chain and leave the galaxy in a state of peace that it has never experienced since its formation!" There were many different voices heard, some in disbelief, some in agreement, others flat out rejecting it. But all the voices were now part of the play. Whether they wanted it or not, nothing was going to change the outcome of this act. The script had been written, the cast auditioned, and the director was now putting the pieces in place.

"The Confederacy, since its foundation has always desired one thing: to be recognized as legitimate by the Republic. That has always been the major sticking point of every negotiation. Even Senator Atell here has to agree with me, since she herself is one of the ones who has publicly promoted this goal." Voe frowned, but said nothing. It was true, and to say anything against that would be hypocritical. "But this recognition has always been denied, and negotiations have always fallen apart.

"But now, there is a way to achieve this goal. Since the beginning of this war, the Confederacy has always been on the offensive. If you go anywhere in the Republic, you will find people who say that the Separatists are the aggressors and are the ones that are causing the war. AND THEY ARE RIGHT!" He shouted, causing an instant uproar in the senate. "They are right! We have always been on the attack, always looking for an opening in the Republic's armor to strike at! No wonder they don't want negotiations: they know we will be the ones to break it!"

The rest of what Darkover said was drowned out by the uproar in the senate. Almost everybody was now shouting at Darkover, screaming at him to leave and take his traitorous talk out of here. Even members who supported the peace talks were having serious doubts.

Lawise was once again calling for order, but he too was barely containing his rage at what this man said. _The Confederacy as the villains in this conflict? Impossible!_ He thought,_ He twists and turns the facts to his advantage_.

Count Dooku continued to watch on. _What is he trying to do?_ He wondered. _This would be political suicide if he was a politician, and he seems to be aiming for that goal. This has gone on long enough_, he thought, _time to intervene_.

He stood up, and in the senate building his hologram mimicked his movements. "Senators, esteemed colleagues." He said onboard his ship. The message relayed through the hologram mimicked his actions. Dooku's voice, even through the hologram, was enough to return the senate to a relative state of calm. _"Please, refrain from judgment until I am finished."_ The last few voices silenced and the senate was full of anticipation. Darkover had now given Dooku his undivided attention and was staring at his hologram intensely. _Good, _Dooku thought, _now you're in your rightful place, just as you should be._

_"You have all heard Darkover's claims about the nature and the possible future of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. While I have no immediate evidence against his claims, he himself has no evidence to support even his own claims. You speak in metaphor and hypothesis, but you have no proof for your claims."_ He said directly to Darkover. A few people murmured in agreement while the rest remained attentive to the scene in front of them. _"Members of the military are not welcome in this senate, but we have politely let you speak your mind. In return, you have insulted our very government and the people who run it: not a very good way to gain support for your cause, if I may say so."_ Dooku's hologram leered at Darkover, _"I believe that you are thinking only of a military stance suited for your benefit, not of that for the Confederacy. If this is the case, you should forget your plan and concentrate on conducting this war._

_"This is a place for politicians, not as the will-less puppets as you make them out to be."_ Positive cheering was heard for Dooku. _"If you continue to hide behind senators, then you only endanger yourself in the end. The Confederacy is stronger than you make it out to be and we _will_ prevail in our struggle against the Republic!"_ Massive cheering erupted from the senate, phrasing Dooku and the Confederacy.

_A massive lie, all of it, but the Confederacy still has its uses for the moment._ Dooku thought. _In my master's plan, the Confederacy is just a means to an end and will not survive in the future. But for now, it stays_.

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The cheering subsided until there was only one person clapping: Darkover. His face had changed only slightly, barely showing any signs of the amusement he was feeling. As the senate calmed, his clapping was the only thing still echoing throughout the hall. Many beings exchanged looks of confusion. _Why is he clapping? He should be running out of here. Why is he still here? _These were some of the thoughts that were going through the minds of a few senators. They were unaware that what they thought was the finale was actually only the rising action. The real show was about to begin.

Darkover stopped clapping and reassumed his open posture. "Well said Count. If I were you, I could not have said it any better. But you have yet to offer a solution to the question: what will happen if we win? Do we simply take over from where the Republic left off?" He turned to the rest of the senate, "I think we can all agree that can't happen. We simply can not take over the Republic in its current form." He turned back to face Dooku. "However, I have a answer to both that question, and our immediate problem of legitimacy. As I said before, we have been portrayed as the aggressors in this conflict. But what would happen if we changed that view?

"Our droid forces outnumber the Republic by an overwhelming number, however we keep getting beaten again and again by the Jedi." He almost snarled the word. "That is because we break formation to attack them. We have enough forces to hold the entire Republic back, but we squander them in worthless raids and temporary conquests. I know because I have issued such plans under orders by other military commanders, such as my recent victories in the mid-rim. But, what would happen if we pulled back and held the worlds we already have, instead of attacking?"

"Then the Republic will attack and we will eventually be overwhelmed by their firepower!" Bec Lawise said. Some of the senate murmured with agreement, but it was unenthusiastic agreement.

Darkover shook his head. "Have you heard nothing of what I've said? We have enough forces to withstand anything the Republic throws against us _if_ we stop wasting them by attacking and we assume a defensive posture."

"That would leave us vulnerable and give the impression that we can't win this war!" Voe Atell said.

Darkover looked over at her and gave her a look that plainly said; _oh, you're still here?_ "Once again: have you heard nothing? Yes, it may give that impression to the public at first, but as the military commanders of the Republic will soon find out, they won't be able to break through our lines due to our numbers and revised strategy. Once they've bloodied their noses against our entrenched lines, they in turn will revise their strategy. They will pause and try to figure out a way break our lines, and when that happens, the public will lose faith in the Republic's ability to win. A galaxy wide stalemate will ensue, and _that_ is the moment when the talks will resume. That is when the Republic will ask for us at the negotiation tables."

Dooku, clearly displeased with this line of thought, broke in. _"And why will the Republic want to have talks with us?"_

Darkover smiled. _I have him now._ "Because, public discontent will force their Senate to act. Because their commanders will soon realize that they cannot break through and destroy us. Because they will be curious and want to know what our strategy is. And the only way they will be able to touch us will be through negotiation. And then, that is where we will play our trump Sabacc card: Peace in return for legitimacy."

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The senate broke out in urgent conversation. While some did not like this plan, many others saw the reason and opportunity behind the concept. Ones who had already supported the peace conference decided to give this new plan their full support, and those who did not want peace full heartedly disagreed with this plan. However, these two groups were already pre-determined. They would not change anything; they were the critics reviewing the play. It was up to the audience, the ones who were still undecidedly watching the show, to make the final review.

"This is an outrage!"

"Why is he an Admiral if he won't fight?"

"He is a savior!"

"We should of had him here ages ago."

_This has gone almost perfectly,_ Darkover thought with some amazement. _I thought it would take a little more effort than this. Now it's time to deliver the final blow. _"In summation," He said, "my proposal is this: we change our military strategy to a mainly defensive posture, and then we wait for the Republic to break its literal military back and come to us for peace, which will be arranged on _our_ terms. Those terms will guarantee our recognition and the end of this war. In short, we win."

The Senate erupted with noise once again. This time instead of chaotic shouting, it was the sounds of debate, albeit louder than necessary with some clapping, cussing, and cheering thrown in the mix. Everyone was now discussing Darkover's new plan, whether they agreed with it or not, and that was going to be the only thing on people's minds for the rest of the day. Any other debates and topics were now out the airlock in favor of Darkover's newly revealed plan. _Just as it should be. They will think of nothing else except of me and my idea. My presence is no longer required here; the outcome of what they decide matters little now, but my work is now in motion._ _I must remember to thank Senator Kushi later for the "invitation". _

Darkover stepped down from the stand and made his way to exit the parliament building. Just as he was about to step through the archway out, he felt someone's presence concentrated on him. He stopped and looked straight at the source of it: Count Dooku. Darkover narrowed his eyes and considered Dooku, waiting for anything from this Dark Lord. Dooku only continued to be focused on him and did nothing else. Darkover waited a moment and then, when Dooku didn't react, pulled his hood over his face and exited the building.

Moving outside in the sunlight, he was like a black spot, a walking shadow denying the sun the benefit of its illumination. His yellow eyes glowed with an inner fire brought on by his triumph in the senate. People who were outside and had heard him speak moved forward on the landing platform to talk to him, but suddenly withdrew as if repulsed by an unseen force.

The shadow moved on. Darkover signaled his personal ship to activate the door and open it. The ship was sleek and aerodynamic, slightly rounded and had a pair of wings that could resemble the wings on a Z-95 Headhunter, only slanted backwards. Obviously the shuttle had been modified to suit Darkover's needs. The ship, originally outfitted with a class 3 hyperdrive, had been gradually upgraded by Darkover so now it worked and had the same efficiency as a class 1 hyperdrive. Same with the weaponry, which had started with only a basic pair of light laser cannons. Those had been removed and replaced with two medium cannons and in addition to that, a hidden missile launcher for certain circumstances. However, this ship was not meant to be a fighter: that was the job of another ship Darkover had. A small medical facility was located near the rear of the ship for immediate treatment of wounds and injuries. Needless to say that the reactor had also been upgraded to support all these changes. It was no longer just a shuttle; it was a fully upgraded mobile base with weapons, a medical facility, communication room, and rest areas. This is the type of ship that Darkover boarded. Its name was _The Black Waste_.

Darkover came onboard and the internal computer fully activated. Getting into the pilot's seat, Darkover ignited the thrusters eased away from the senate building. Following the airway lines, he piloted his way through the city's airspace out towards the edge of the city. A ten-minute flight brought him out of the city to the sparsely populated open country. Five minutes more and a small mansion became visible on the landscape. Darkover turned his ship to point at it and landed on a platform in the back of the mansion. After setting the landing gear down, Darkover opened the ship's door and stepped outside.

The door to the mansion was locked and had a security panel. Darkover pulled off his glove and pressed his hand against it. The security system read his fingerprints and heat signature, then opened a second control for a retina scan. After Darkover completed these two checks he grasped the handle and opened the door. He was back inside his temporary home on Raxus Secundus.

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**This ends the first chapter. Like? Dislike? Let me know, I need inspiration to finish this. I have a few more chapters written before I run out, so any input would be helpful. Thanks!**

**Anyway, this will have VERY SLOW UPDATES. You have been warned after I (hopefully) dragged you into this story. He-he...**

**So for now, Read, Review, Favorite, Follow. **

**-OrangeGalen**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everybody, here's chapter two!**

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**Disclamer: I do not own Star Wars. **

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_Raxus Secundus: Country Side- Darkover's Mansion_

The inside of the mansion was dimly lit with dull yellow standby lights lining the hallways inside. There were few windows in the entirety of the house and most of those were located on the second floor. Several hallways lead off into various other rooms of the mansion, and the main hall was only moderately decorated for practical reasons if anybody came as a guest. Not that Darkover received or invited anybody on a regular basis. The last person that came was invited and that Senator Kushi.

_It was refreshing to talk to somebody that wasn't a droid, as I usually only have them with me on campaigns. While droids are programed with valuable strategies, they make poor conversationalists._ Darkover thought, remembering RW-47. RW- 47 was a Super tactical Droid that Darkover had for all of his mid-rim conquests, until the end. _The last I saw of him was before the battle over Bothawui, and he was probably destroyed by those Jedi after they beat me. _

Darkover grimaced at the memory; he still had several scars from where Skywalker sliced and stabbed him through the chest, and would have them until the day he died. Several bacta treatments and all that the best the doctors could do was make it so he could still move like before and do all the things he could before. But they could not eliminate the pain. Every once in a while, when he was going about his business, a fire would slowly build up from his scars and course through his body before subsiding. _They said that it is a ghost pain, and only in my mind. But pain is my ally, and helps me focus. The doctors also said that it was a miracle that I lived at all. But it wasn't a miracle: it was the Force…. And a little help from some bacta patches from_ The Black Waste.

Darkover moved up the dark stairway to the second floor. When he got upstairs, he made his way to the refresher, and then when he was done, went into his main communication room. The mansion itself wasn't all that new, but was still relatively well kept enough to be useful other things than for a place to sleep. The previous owner had got it from a long family line of small bankers. Some other larger corporation had probably swallowed up the businesses they started long ago, but the small mansion had remained. The owner had bought it after the bankers went out of business and auctioned it off. Little was done with it until Darkover found it suitable for his needs. After a few renovations and some redecorating, the mansion was good to go.

The communication room was a remodeled guest room. A large window in the back provided ample illumination for the room's contents. The walls were mostly bare except for a few control panels that were built into the wall. A long desk stood at one side of the room with several holographic displays on and in the desk. Several schematics were showing on the displays with timetables clocking their progress. Behind that desk on the wall was one display case that housed two of Darkover's only real possessions, his lightsaber and his Sith sword. In the center of the room there was a holoprojector for face-to-face communications.

Darkover went behind the desk and picked up a datapad. _Hmm… I thought as much. I don't have enough data to attempt to build that, and probably never will. _Darkover put down that datapad and picked up another. _Good, my main project is still on schedule,_ he thought as he read the report on the pad. He pressed a few buttons on the pad then put it back down. Darkover went to another screen that showed any current news on the Separatist holo-net. _So we lost Lanos and Moonus Mandel, _he mused after reading several of the headlines. _Took the Republic long enough after Bothawui. I expect that Kothlis and Lannik will be next in line for "liberation". Add them to the growing list of planets we are going to lose if the Senate doesn't approve my plan._ Darkover sat down in the chair. _Although it matters little to me what those kvailas*(foolish) senators decide, as the end result will favor me either way._ He leaned back in the chair, allowing himself a rare moment of relaxation and breathed out.

Closing his eyes, he let himself drift away in the Dark Side of the Force. Slowly he eased himself into the currents of the Force and felt their pull on him urging him down several pathways. He ignored them and instead rooted himself in the middle of the river. Then, gathering himself, he reached out and forced the Dark Side to bend to him. The flow resisted fiercely, but that was part of what made the users of the Dark Side so strong: the struggle for power. Your will over others.

Slowly, Darkover felt the Force move around him. Sinking deeper into the Dark Side, he grasped it, forcing it to show him visions of the future. This had not always worked and sometimes he got visions of events that happened in the past, and others were places that were unclear or unknown to him. Many were of his past and what could have happened, but a few held morsels of possible futures.

Darkover shifted through these visions. Flashes of images, snippets of voices. A city in flames. Speaking in front of the Separatist Senate. An image of a frozen wasteland that once held plants and people. Two large warships were floating in space, one was almost twice as large as the other one, but the smaller one was the only ship firing. An image of him fighting Skywalker on that frigate around Bothawui appeared. These were all images he had seen before and did so again now.

Next were a few he had seen before, but they changed each time he meditated. One of them was him standing over Dooku's decapitated body. Another vision was the same but instead, Dooku was standing over his body. He was bowing to a dark figure with Dooku dead in the next. The dark figure then killed him with Dooku still alive, watching. In next vision Darkover was standing over both the figure and Dooku, both dead before him.

The image changed to a place that Darkover didn't know. He was facing Skywalker and was winning, but then Skywalker stabbed him through the gut. The fire he felt once before turned to the cold of death that spread through his body, and this time Darkover knew that nothing could save him from death. The weird thing was that the blade wasn't blue, but green. _Isn't Skywalker's blade blue?_ Darkover thought. Before he could ponder this any more, the placement of characters changed, and this time it was Skywalker that was dead with Darkover's sword sticking out of his gut, blood spilling out of the mortal wound.

The scene changed again and Darkover was leading the Separatists to victory over the Jedi and the Republic. The Jedi temple was burning in the night sky on Coruscant and he was basking himself in its glorious ruin, but then the vision changed and he was then inside, burning with it.

The images started to fade away into the darkness and he was slowly pushed out of the river. Even the Dark Side doesn't reveal all its gifts to those who use it. Darkover grasped at the river again in hope of gaining insight into his visions. He was not successful in this and they continued to flow past. In one last effort, Darkover forced his way back into the stream and was rewarded with one last vision.

In it, he was sitting in a chair. In front of him sat three figures robed in black. Together they formed a square in which the Dark Side flowed through one to another in an endless cycle of power. Those three figures doubled, expanding the square to fit more seats. There were seven figures in total including himself, with shadows of more hiding in the background waiting to come forth and be defined. All of the figures were different in stature, but all had the same dark clothing. _The New Dark Council_, Darkover thought_._ Then the vision disappeared and Darkover was thrown suddenly back into the room where he started his mediation.

_How long had it lasted this time?_ To Darkover it felt like a standard week had passed since he started. In reality only half an hour had gone by. Darkover let himself feel a little pride in his accomplishment. Usually his visions only lasted a few minutes, but this new time proved that Darkover was getting stronger in the Dark Side of the Force.

He started pondering long and hard about the visions the Dark Side yielded to him. _What did they mean? How much was actually going to pass?_ Darkover shook his head, he didn't know much more than his other attempts. _But that last vision, the one with the robed figures was the clearest and the most vibrant one of the visions. Is my dream actually going to become reality? Only time will tell. _

He suddenly realized that something was out of place. He glanced down at the desk controls and saw a flashing security button. _Curious,_ he thought, _someone is trying to break into my communication systems. They must be really anxious to speak to me, and I think I know who they, or more precisely, he, is. Well, I won't stop him. In fact, I'll give him some help, for a price._

Darkover leaned over and began to work on his controls. He accessed his own security and then released the programing that kept a certain virus from infecting his system. The virus, free of any firewalls keeping it out, proceeded to upload a bug into Darkover's own system that would automatically send a 'ping' out from any holographic systems that were used during the next conversation, whether they were right next to each other or light-years away, so the position of that projector would be known only to Darkover and could be tracked. Due to the nature of this 'ping' the bug would be near undetectable until the main purpose of it activated. After communications were terminated, the bug would destroy the hardware on all of the holoprojectors, making them useless until they were replaced with entirely new holoprojection system.

Darkover had found this particular virus the hard way after he first contacted Kushi and it trashed both of their projectors, to which Darkover apologized for and bought Kushi a new system. The virus had originated in the computer of the old mansion and Darkover saved it from deletion after seeing its potential use in the future.

_It was amusing after the fact and I think this moment qualifies as a special event to use it, _Darkover thought. The virus had now done its job and now was tracking the signals of every projector. However, none were being used yet so the virus had done nothing apart from just sitting in the system. But that was going to change presently. Letting the hacker work, Darkover leaned back in his chair and waited for the person to get in and receive their present.

He was not disappointed. A few seconds later and the console read, _"SYSTEM COMPROMISED"_. The projectors flared up and an image of Count Dooku appeared in the center of the room. The Count looked very unhappy and disgruntled, which delighted Darkover.

Darkover spoke up before Dooku could. "Count Dooku, what an expected surprise. I am shocked to see how long it took you to get into my security. Clearly the Confederacy needs some new hardware if it can't break into a simple computer as my own." _And it's going to need some more of that after we're done here._ Dooku glared at him and said nothing, so after a moment Darkover continued. "So, why have you made this effort to contact me?"

_"You have put me in a very difficult position Darkover._ Dooku said, getting right to the point. _"Your little speech earlier has split the entire Senate in debate and ground it to a halt. I assume that that is what you intended to do for I see no other reason for your actions."_

"Oh, but I did mean it Count. You know as well as I that the Republic will win based on the way we are going. I am doing what is necessary for the survival of the Confederacy."

_"By throwing the Senate in chaos? I think not, Darkover. I know who you and what you are. There is an ulterior motive to your actions that does not fit into my plans. And I want to know what you are going to do to make sure nothing goes wrong with mine." _

Darkover glanced down at his controls. The bug had fully uploaded itself into both systems and had sent out the ping. Dooku's signal was coming from an empty area of space in the Raioballo Sector. _Perfect, far away from where I am going to be. _

Darkover stood up and faced Dooku's image. "You want to know what I am doing? You want to know my plans? Ha!" He gave a short bark of laughter, "You're right Count, we Sith always have an ulterior motive to whatever we do. But you don't know mine; you can't comprehend my designs, you don't know what my reasons are, what I can do, and what I want." Darkover leaned over his desk, "And that scares the hell out of you, doesn't it?"

Dooku scowled, _"I will not be threatened by the likes of you. You may call yourself Sith, but you are hardly worthy of the title and what it means."_

Darkover hunched over his desk and his eyes glowed with a fierce fire. "I'm more worthy of it than you will ever be. I _am_ Sith. " He straightened up and walked around the desk to face Dooku directly. "You may call yourself Sith, but your order is inherently flawed and will destroy itself in time. That is the nature of the Rule of Two: eventually there will be one too strong for the apprentice to take the master's place and the order will end. And then what will happen to the Sith? They will die."

Dooku wore a strange expression, one that combined amusement, confusion, and disgust onto one face. _"The same can be said of the old ways and the Rule of the Many. It has happened before: the weak will rise up and destroy the Sith from the inside and all the Jedi need to do is wait. No, the Rule of Two is the only sure way the Sith will survive. And you, Darkover, are a relic from a long lost past, an anomaly that should not be here. You and your kind no longer have a future in this galaxy, save to give the Jedi a name to remember and fear."_

Darkover turned and looked away from Dooku. His face was unreadable, and emotionless save for his eyes that were barely illuminated, the fire inside burned out. The ghost of his vision where he was burning in the Jedi Temple came unbidden to his mind. He closed his eyes. "You may be right Count. Perhaps my species' time is at an end. Maybe the Sith species doesn't have a future in the galaxy."

Another vision came to his mind, the one where he was standing over the dead forms of Dooku and his master. Darkover opened his eyes, the fire rekindled. "But that doesn't mean that _I_ can't." He turned and faced Dooku once again. "I have come to where I am today through hard work and devotion to the Dark Side. I have forged my path in opposition to everything everyone has told me. I left everything behind and made my own name in the galaxy. And what have you done Count? You, born of a wealthy family and raised by the Jedi until you quit and returned to your holdings on Serenno, then helped found the Confederacy of Independent Systems. I doubt that you had to endure anything hard for long, with such a classy, pampered life that you had.

"But that time has past Count. You will soon come to realize that you are nothing compared to me. All your goals, all your dreams will come crashing down upon you and your master. And I will be the one laughing over your bodies as I lead my Sith to victory against our common enemy. And you cannot stop me."

_"You greatly overestimate your abilities Darkover, and that will be your undoing. In your ignorance you forget that I am the leader of the Separatists and I have the entire military at my disposal. While you may command the ships and droids at your disposal, I control them." _

"But for how long? The Senate may in fact approve my plan and in which case the fleet will naturally be under my jurisdiction then. And since it would have been approved by the Senate, there would be not a thing you could do about it."

_"You are assuming the Senate will approve of your plan. What will they think once they find out that you have mysteriously been killed by a Jedi strike team while off world? Your proposal will fail after your hand has been lifted off of it."_

"Is that a threat?"

_"Merely a reminder of who is in power. And you are about to lose any that you held."_

"I don't thinks so. You said that you control the fleet, but how much of it answers to you? It's not as much as you may think. And as for your last comment, I assume that you are about to contact your forces here and have me eliminated from the picture and make it seem that it was a Republic assassination." Darkover smiled at Dooku, "It will be hard to contact anybody once we're finished."

Dooku narrowed his eyes. _"Is that a threat?"_

"Merely a fact. I have uploaded a virus to both of our systems that will destroy them once communications have ceased. Unless you have another state-of-the-art holoprojector at your disposal, you are going to be unreachable for some time. Long enough for me to finish what I need to do."

Dooku was silent for a long time, and then finally said, _"I see that there is nothing further to say. You will pay for your insolence Darkover. I will see it done."_

"Good luck with that." Darkover reached over his desk and hit the 'End Transmission' button. Dooku's projection flickered out. There was a slight humming that came from the projectors, then several series of sparks flared out of it signifying that the system was now destroyed and the bug had done its work.

Knowing there was little time left, Darkover sat down and started downloading and erasing files from his computer desk and wiping out anything that didn't matter. He was returning his database to level zero so nobody else could get anything from it after he left. The mansion will return to its unused state and Darkover would take everything that he brought in that held value. _I'm probably never going to return here so why leave anything important?_ He thought.

All of his files had been downloaded and erased, saved into his ship's computer. _There is nothing else to do, so lets not leave anything here._ He reached over onto the wall and took down the sword and lightsaber that hung there in the case. He unsheathed his sword and, holding it in his left hand, brought it up and swung down at the desk. The sword, which was enchanted with powerful Sith magic, cut through the desk and destroyed it, along with any remnant of data that remained embedded within. Darkover used to Force to gather the datapads to him, and then turned and left the ruins of his communications room behind. Going out the same way he came in, Darkover exited the mansion and, after reinitializing the security system, started his warm up of _The Black Waste_.

Once inside, he plotted his course to his base on Lorahns. He paused before taking off, then he recorded a short message for Senator Kushi that read as follows:

_Senator Kushi, I am taking a short absence from politics on Raxus. My duties as an Admiral call me back to the war, but I hope that you can continue what I started. I leave in you my trust that my proposal will succeed for in your hands. –Darkover. _

_Well that was a little sentimental of me, but at least I won't be forgotten so quickly in the Senate._ Darkover hit the 'send' icon, then powered up his engines and piloted out of the atmosphere. _Kushi is well meaning, but foolish enough that he can still be used. He won't be able to keep up my proposal for long against Dooku. Everything now depends on the speed of events._ Darkover typed in a few commands and then sent out a signal to the Separatist Sixth Fleet. _Who's in control now, Count? I am. The Sixth Fleet is mine and will soon be joining me around Lorahns. And soon, you, your master, and the Jedi will fall before me. _

Making his way off of Raxus Secundus was evidence that his bug worked, as none of the ships protecting the planet moved to intercept him. As soon as he was clear of the fleet, he input the coordinates for Lorahns and made the jump to hyperspace. Several minuets into his trip, he received a burst transmission from the Sixth Fleet: his forces had received his signal and were now moving to join him. _Good, those modifications that I made to all those droids proved to be useful after all. Now I will show the Confederate Senate that my plan will work and will hold back the Republic. And Lorahns will be the place to prove it._

* * *

_Deep Space: Raioballo Sector,_ Invisible Hand

"I see that there is nothing further to say. You will pay for your insolence Darkover. I will see it done."

_"Good luck with that."_ Darkover said.

Dooku saw Darkover lean over a table and hit a button. The transmission was then cut. Dooku was silent as his holoprojector hummed then sparked, frying the circuitry inside the system. Dooku considered his options. _I can order the fleet to attack Darkover, but without this transmitter, the message will take too long to reach the right hands. And if I do that, it will be seen as an internal attack on part of the Separatist military and might lead to a civil war within ourselves. If I pursue this line, I could find a way to calm the Senate and make it seem that Darkover planned this from the beginning, but that will take unnecessary time and might be a waste of effort if it fails._

Dooku turned to another line of thought. _I don't see how the Republic will be of help, as they will jump at the chance to let us rip ourselves apart. Even my master would not be able to prevent the Republic from seizing this chance at victory._

But then another option came to him. _However, the Jedi will be eager to be rid of Darkover. Their spies will inform the Council of Darkover's continuing existence and they will jump at the chance to eliminate him. They well know what he is and what he represents and will take all necessary actions to kill him._ As he thought this out, it proved to be beneficial to all parties in one way or another.

_The Jedi will benefit in the short run as they will have the satisfaction of killing a Sith and will have the feeling that they gained something. The Confederacy will also gain in the short run because they will lose faith in Darkover's plan once he is gone. Finally we, the true Sith Lords, will benefit the most in the long term, because it will weaken the Jedi, both in numbers and in status in the Republic, and deal with a problem that should not have existed. All sides would gain, except Darkover's. _

_If the Jedi attack, they will bring as much forces as they can to kill Darkover. This will occupy the Jedi and perhaps dwindle their numbers, while the Confederacy will take advantage of this and attack elsewhere. And this will further the belief that the Jedi are not to be trusted with the military, which will turn the public more and more against them. This could actually work to our advantage. _

Dooku heard the doors open and heard the loud metallic clangs of a person's footsteps and the wheezing of his breath. Although, using the term 'person' is a very loose categorization of this being. Neither completely organic nor completely machine, he was a tool, a thing created to do one thing, to kill Jedi. His machine parts were more sympathetic to his victims than his living parts, and he reveled in the carnage he created. He inspired fear in the hearts of the Republic's people and was a scourge for the Jedi. But for all this, he was still just a disposable tool for the Sith Lords.

General Grievous entered the communications tower and came down to Dooku. He stopped short of him and bowed slightly. "My Lord," he said in his heavy machine enhanced voice, "we have lost contact with the Sixth Fleet. They are not responding and were estimated to be heading toward the Sloo sector."

"It seems that Darkover has been moving steadily behind our backs." Dooku was somewhat surprised at the Sixth Fleet's sudden desertion, but he knew where they were headed. Dooku turned and looked at Grievous. "Admiral Darkover should now be considered a threat to the Separatist cause, and his actions now solidify that. But we must not do anything yet."

"My Lord? Surely you don't mean to let Darkover escape our grasp?"

"Oh, but I do. And we will let him fall right into the Jedi's welcoming hands. Besides, he never has been out of our reach. I know exactly where to find him, and soon the Republic will too."

"I see. And the Jedi will be more than happy to get their lightsabers on Darkover. It is unfortunate that I won't have that pleasure." Grievous said, understanding Dooku's plan, and remembering his hatred for the Admiral. Grievous had only spoken with the man once, but that was enough to make him hate Darkover. But then another concern came to mind. "What about the Sixth Fleet? When news reaches the Senate of their abandonment to Darkover, that could throw the Confederacy into its own civil war." Not that it mattered to Grievous; he would still be fighting the Republic and the Jedi regardless of what the Confederate Senate said. Besides, politics do not concern him, only combat.

"Let me worry about the Senate." Dooku said, "You will soon have other matters to see to. Gather what forces you deem fit for an attack. Once the Jedi are attacking Darkover, you will attack elsewhere in the Republic to throw them off balance."

"It would be my pleasure." Grievous said, bowing. Then he turned and strode his way out of the room.

Dooku had one last thing to do before implementing his plan. Ignoring the smoking wreak that was the holoprojector in front of him, he turned and made his way to the back of the room. Imputing a series of codes, he activated a second holoprojector and waited, kneeling. In the past, he used to feel a little nervous when contacting his then new master, but that had changed from when they first met, back when he was still shaking off the corruption of the Jedi. Now it was anticipation that made him nervous.

Dooku soon heard the projector whirr and the tell tale sound of a hologram appearing. Even without physically being in the room, Dooku could feel the darkness emanating from the figure. "Master." He simply said.

_"Lord Tyranus, you have urgent news, no doubt,"_ the hooded figure, who was known as Darth Sidious in this guise, said. _"Something that has you greatly troubled I sense."_

It was no use denying it to his master. "Yes my master. It is about this Sith Pureblood, Darkover. He has made a series of bold moves that threaten our plans. If he is not stopped, he could throw the galaxy into a state of perpetual conflict. And that would jeopardize our goal of a unified galaxy under our rule."

Sidious hissed under his hood. _"Darkover has the potential to be more dangerous to us than the Jedi. He is under the teachings of the old rule, the Rule of the Many, just like the Sith of old. No doubt he plans to gather more Force users under his banner and make an army of the Dark Side. There can only be two as decreed by the teachings of Darth Bane. He cannot be allowed to tarnish the strength of the Sith by increasing its numbers."_

"That is why I have a plan to stop him, without us becoming directly involved. He is too far involved in the workings of the Confederacy for me to directly do anything about him, but that does not mean that the Jedi can't."

Sidious pondered this for a moment before seeing the entire plan play out in his head. _"Yes,"_ he mused, _"the Jedi will kill him simply for being a Sith, while we in turn will wait for his fall. No need to do something when you can get someone to do it for you."_

"Add to that the increasing distrust of the Jedi by the public and we will be the ones who will gain the most."

_"An excellent plan, my apprentice. I trust you can put this in motion?"_

"Yes my lord, it has already begun."

_"Good."_ Sidious drew out the word. _"Soon Darkover will be no more and the Jedi will pay our price. The true Sith Lords will prevail over our pretenders and the galaxy will be ours in due time. The Force is with us. Go, Lord Tyranus, and rid the galaxy of his filth."_

"It will be done, my lord."

The transmission ended and Dooku erased the memory of the projector. Even here onboard this ship, he could not be too careful. Dooku ordered a maintenance crew to replace the first holoprojector system and create a place to hold the virus that infected it. As the droids did their work, Dooku prepared a way to contact several old friends, ones that once meant his entire universe before he realized how arrogant they were. He was going to connect directly to the Jedi Council.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars**

* * *

_Coruscant: Jedi Temple_

Anakin always hated getting summoned before the Jedi Council. It either meant that he or Ahsoka had done something wrong or that he was needed to do something for them. It irritated him to no end. It must have stemmed from when he was nine years old, being tested by the Council, almost interrogated by them about his life and emotions. He had assumed back then that it would get better and he would like the Jedi.

And he had. For what seemed like the better half of his life he had been trained and raised by the Jedi and had come to regard his former master, Obi-Wan, like the father he never had. However, the constant pressure of being the Chosen One combined with the fact that the Council had not entirely supported his training made him feel slightly apart from the rest of the Jedi. Not to mention the fact that he was married. That alone would have separated him from the Order in a heartbeat if the Council found out about him and Padmé.

But he was still in the Order, and now he had a padawan to be concerned about. Ahsoka Tano was one of the most skilled padawans in the Order, becoming his padawan at age fourteen, younger than most due to wartime necessity. Now she was sixteen and was becoming very strong in the Force. A lot had changed since they first met.

"Any idea what the Council wants us for?" Ahsoka said. She and Anakin were walking side by side down the hall to the Council Chambers. They had been called for both while they had been sparring in a training area. When they finished their initial bantering after finishing the session, they had got down to speculation as to what the occasion was.

"I don't know Snips." Anakin said. "Maybe they've found out who planed to destroy the Valor station with that decryption module R2 got." The events of that day still fresh in his mind. He almost lost a dear friend of his that day, even if R2 was just a droid.

"Or maybe they found where Grievous is hiding and we're going to go get him. Master Yoda did seem very serious when he called." Ahsoka said, also having fresh memories concerning the droid general.

"That's one possibility. Or perhaps it's Count Dooku they've found."

"Now that would be a big find." Ahsoka said with some slight disbelief in her voice.

"Hey, you can always hope right?"

"If you do fight him, just try and not lose your other hand will you?"

Ahsoka had learned a long time ago before she became his apprentice how he had lost his right hand in a duel with Dooku. It didn't bother her that much, it just made her master that much intimidating, if she could use the word, when they first met. So she had covered up that bit of timidity with an over exaggeration of gusto and 'snippiness', which had promptly earned herself the nickname 'Snips' from Anakin. Since then she learned to drop the act and be more of herself. That still didn't mean she still didn't deserve the nickname; she still was impulsive and sometimes acted without thinking. But she had come a long way since Christophsis.

Anakin grunted and let the last comment slide. Anakin knew Ahsoka meant it in jest, but it hit pretty close to home. He had faced Dooku several times since the first battle of Geonosis when the Clone Wars began and hadn't received any lasting injuries since then. But each time he was reminded of how far he still had to go as a Jedi.

Ahsoka sensed the distress she caused and moved to fix it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to hurt."

Anakin looked at her, "It's fine, I knew you were just kidding and it didn't hurt me. It just made me think." _Besides, you weren't the one that hurt me,_ he thought.

"Think about what?" Ahsoka asked. She knew Anakin had a troubled past and she never really went into it, but sometimes it came up every now and again during conversations.

"Never mind. We have a council meeting to attend, remember?" He said, brushing her off and continuing on.

Ahsoka gave a small frown of disgust. _He did it again, just brushed me aside. I wish he wouldn't do that, or at least so often._ She continued to walk by her master through the halls of the Jedi Temple, and before long they were inside the Council Room.

Immediately, both master and apprentice could feel the tension in the Force. _This has to be something big,_ Anakin thought, _maybe they actually _had_ found Dooku_. "Masters." He said, bowing. Ahsoka mimicked his movements as well. Both Ahsoka and Anakin then moved forward out of the doorway, but not quite in the center of the room. "You wanted to speak to us?" Anakin asked.

Mace Windu spoke up. "We have finished deciphering the encrypted transmission from General Grievous. It details exactly how the Valor station was going to be destroyed. However, that is not why we called you here today."

"Inside the transmission, a second one was hiding." Yoda said. "A two way conversation, Grievous was having. Surprised we were, and troubled, when we found out who the second person was."

Mace taped some commands into his chair and said, "Load Decoded Message." The windows automatically polarized to block out the sunlight in the room. The holoprojector in the center of the room started up and the unmistakable form of General Grievous appeared. Grievous was standing almost upright with his cape thrown drawn around him, but was some very bad static problems that engulfed some portions of the hologram. "Unfortunately the beginning is too badly scrambled with static, but we managed to salvage the majority of the transmission." Mace Windu said. "Begin playback."

The hologram became animated and the audio transmission started off in mid-sentence. _"-questioning my authority?"_ Grievous' hologram said. His voice, already intelligible, was worsened due to the static. _"I am the Commander of the Droid Army and I will not let anybody dictate to me how I am supposed to run _my_ army."_ He was clearly agitated about something or someone. _"You will follow my orders and attack the Valor station, Admiral."_

Grievous' appearance changed and a new figure appeared. The figure was wearing a long robe and his face was partially obscured by his hood, and the static covered the rest so Anakin could not see his face. But Anakin felt that he knew the person, but he couldn't place why or where. The voice didn't help much as it was also garbled. Anakin could only tell it was a deep male voice, but that was all.

_"With all due respect General, you would be putting a lot of forces into an attack that probably would not succeed. The station is simply too guarded for a frontal attack, and even if I did manage to break through, our main targets would likely be long gone. No, I know a different, better way." _

Grievous appeared again, his eyes narrowed barely controlling his rage. _"Explain."_ He growled.

The figure appeared again. _"I have intercepted a transmission to the Republic ship _Renown,_ in it is a request for its captain to attend the conference held on the station. I will capture the ship and use it as a giant bomb to destroy the station."_

_"Impossible,"_ Grievous said, _"there is nothing that can create an explosion that intense-"_

_"Except Rhydonium, which I know where there is a suitable place to mine it: a remote planet called Abafar. Out of the way and under our control so we won't attract too much attention. The Republic cruiser will be ours and you will soon have your destroyed station. You may be the commander of the droid forces, but I am the brains behind them."_

_"Watch yourself scum! You may find your brains on my fist one day." _

_"I would love to see you try, but I have other things to do; capturing a ship is one of them. Good day General. Send Count Dooku my regards."_ And with that the hologram paused, still on the unidentified figure, signifying the end of the recording.

The council sat in silence, waiting for Anakin to say something. Anakin did not disappoint. "Is that all? Why was I called here just to see some argument between Grievous and a Separatist Admiral?" Anakin said that, half irritated, but knew that there was something else going on, and he was growing worried.

Mace spoke up. "We ran an enhancing program on the holograms; not enough to clear up the entire transmission, but enough to look at the man Grievous was talking to. Obi-Wan has already confirmed his identity, but we need you to confirm as well so we are beyond doubt." He keyed in some commands and the hologram zoomed in on the face so it filled the center of the room. It was still shrouded in shadow and static, but soon it started to clear up as several filters were put in. The static was removed and the shadows around the face cleared up so it was in perfect illumination before the entire council.

Anakin and Ahsoka both gasped. Suddenly Anakin remembered how and where he knew the man, and was certain he would never forget that face. _Impossible,_ Anakin thought, _I killed him! How can he still be alive?_ The filters had done their work and before them was a splitting image of a foe they would not forget.

Ahsoka put his thoughts into words. "I don't understand, how can this be? We killed him, didn't we? Master Kenobi even searched for him after our battle."

"Apparently I didn't look hard enough." Obi-Wan said solemnly. "You know who this is right Anakin?"

Anakin spoke, "How could I forget? That's the Pureblood Sith, Darkover." He finished, gesturing to the hologram. Anakin stared at the hologram and it seemed to stare right back. Anakin then said, "But what I don't get is how we missed him. Someone like that would have left some sort of presence to follow, someway to know that he was alive."

"Understand this as well, we do not." Yoda said. "But confirmed you have, that Darkover is alive."

"So there is more." Ahsoka stated, still a little shocked to know the Sith is still alive.

"Yes. Recorded this, our spies in the Separatist Senate, they did." He waved his hand and the hologram changed. It was the inside of the Separatist Senate and there were several figures that Anakin and Ahsoka identified as Senators Voe Atell and Kerch Kushi on the floor. But standing in front of both of them was Darkover at a podium. The scene was moving, but there was no audio.

"Unfortunately our informant could not get the audio of this meeting due to the resources he had, but was able to get this to us only a few hours ago." Mace said.

"Did he remember anything about what Darkover was talking about?" Anakin asked.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, "but it is difficult for us to comprehend. It seems that Darkover wants to end the war by setting up a defensive position for the entire Confederacy. He believes that this will force the Republic to negotiate due to the Separatist's superior numbers."

"And unfortunately he is statistically correct." Master Plo-Koon said. "The Republic matches the Separatists in firepower, but at the moment not in numbers. If Darkover accomplishes his goals, it could bring about a stalemate unseen since the Cold War."

Ahsoka chimed in. "But why would he want to do that? From when we encountered him, he didn't seem very keen on helping Dooku in this war."

Mace Windu looked at Ahsoka. "And that is were our knowledge ends padawan. The Council cannot understand why Darkover would want to bring a forced peace to the galaxy when we still exist." Mace said, referring to 'we' as the Jedi. "The Sith have always been our enemies and cannot tolerate our existence. There has been only one time when the Sith needed to make peace, and that was only out of necessity, and that peace only lasted for so long. We don't understand why he would want to make peace in the middle of this war."

"That is why we already have come to a decision." Ki-Adi-Mundi said. "We have unanimously agreed that Darkover must be brought to justice. As a Sith, he represents a dangerous threat that the Jedi cannot ignore."

"Take all necessary action, we must, to stop Darkover before it is too late." Yoda said. "If left alone, only stronger he will become, as war strengthens the Dark Side."

Adi Gallia spoke in. "Also there have been reports of two tattooed Zabrak men rampaging across several worlds. We suspect them to be Maul and his brother, and this could add to our troubles. If they were to join Darkover, then we would have a much larger problem on our hands."

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan who looked perfectly calm, but because of the years the two had spent together, Anakin knew that Obi-Wan was troubled and could sense his distress about Maul. The two still had a lot of unfinished business between them. "So we are going to go after Darkover and Maul?"

"No, we must concentrate on finding Darkover for the time being." Mace said. "While Maul is a threat, we believe that he does not have the resources that Darkover has at his disposal. The rank of Admiral in the Separatist navy grants Darkover access to many things that Maul does not have, such as ships and troops. Once we have found Darkover, we will then concentrate on finding Maul."

"Do we have any idea where Darkover is?" Anakin asked.

Plo-Koon answered, "Not exactly, but our intelligence has reported a large number of Separatist ships from the Sixth fleet moving to the Sloo sector in the Mid Rim. He is possibly trying to stall our efforts to retake the area and implement his philosophy."

"So we'll have to do this planet by planet then. That will take some time to do, time we may not have." Anakin said.

"Now you see our dilemma." Eeth Koth said from his seat. "We cannot spare the resources to search each planet, but we cannot allow Darkover to continue. Our best hope is to wait for intelligence to locate him."

Anakin could sense from the Force that this did not sit well with the council, they wanted to end this threat as soon as they could, but were unable to do anything about it. Someone deactivated the hologram so Darkover's figure vanished. Anakin spoke again, "But what if we can't locate him in time, what then?"

"We already have operatives looking for him in that sector, but as with all things it will take time to conduct thorough checks on the systems there," Obi-Wan said, "but I too share your feelings Anakin. I only wish more could be done."

The council was filled with uneasy silence. Ahsoka had never seen the entire council seem so unified in one effort before and it was a bit unnerving. _To think that we can't accomplish a simple thing of finding a Sith seems unbelievable,_ she thought. But then she chastised herself. _We_ have_ been looking for Dooku for most of this war as well, so I shouldn't be surprised. He has eluded the council's grasp several times before, so why couldn't Darkover? But then why am I so concerned about Darkover? In fact, why is the council? Even before the war started they have never been this set on one course of action. So what changed?_

Ahsoka was just about to take the risk and put her thoughts into words when something unexpected happened. A chirping sound came from the communications system; someone was trying to contact them.

Everyone in the room was instantly curious about who it was. Something in the atmosphere seemed to radiate tension, probably from the discussion they were just having. Mace Windu reached for the data on the caller. "There is no transmission source that we can detect, so whoever it is doesn't want to be traced."

Before he accepted the transmission, he noticed a random string of data float across the screen of his chair. As he looked for it, he realized that it was a computer virus. He found it and managed to erase it with a special counter-virus in the Temple's computer, then felt it was safe to open communications. The holoprojector turned on again and the last person they expected to see appeared in a life size hologram in front of the council. That person was Count Dooku.

* * *

Immediately the feel of the council changed. Previously the beings in the room displayed emotions ranging from disturbed to thoughtful. Now it was filled with suspicion and curiosity. _Why now?_ Many of them were thinking. They could feel that it was no coincidence that they were just talking about the Sith when Dooku contacted them. This action by Dooku suddenly solidified many of the thoughts of the Council, that Darkover must be ended at all costs.

"Dooku." Anakin said, somewhat unnecessarily. He too was filled with surprise at seeing the former Jedi turned Sith, but that quickly turned to anger.

If Dooku heard him, he gave no sign and instead addressed the council. _"Greetings Masters, it has been too long."_

"Yes, it has been if you think you can just contact us without fear of retaliation." Mace said.

_"Come now Master Windu, if you are planning to track my signal I should tell you that I will be long gone before you reach me. Besides, I would think you would soon have more pressing concerns than chasing after me." _

"Meaning what exactly Count?" Obi-Wan asked.

_"I expect that you have received word that the Sith, Darkover, is still alive, otherwise your spies in my Senate aren't doing their jobs._ Dooku ignored the surprised looks on the Jedi's faces and continued._ I have come with a proposition for you."_

"I highly doubt that we will accept anything from you, Dooku." Mace said.

_"Do not be so sure old friend. I know many things that you would be interested in helping me with, but right now I have only one concern. I know that we both have a common problem in Darkover and I propose to eliminate him." _

"To kill one of your own, why would you?" Yoda said.

_"Lets just say that we have differing views on many things, especially on the nature of the war. I also know that it would be in both our best interests to cooperate on ending Darkover." _

"Why should we help you?" Anakin said. "If Darkover annoys you so much, why don't you kill him yourself?"

Dooku looked over at Anakin with a slight sneer of disgust of his face. _"If I could kill him myself I would not be taking to you right now and have done it already."_ He said, and then he turned away and spoke to Windu and Yoda. _"I have included all the data you need to launch a full attack on Darkover, including the number of ships he has, the strength and placement of his forces, and which planet he is based on. I hope that you will put this to good use otherwise this would have been a waste of time for all of us." _Dooku reached out of the vision of his projectors and a data stream started downloading into the computer of the council. Working still out of sight, Dooku pressed another control and ended the transmission. His hologram in the council room disappeared and the windows de-polarized.

* * *

The council was in silence again, pondering what Dooku's message could have meant. Mace worked on the computer in his chair, buffering and looking over the data Dooku sent. Anakin and Ahsoka were still standing on the edge of the chamber, both exchanging glances with each other. So in tune they could finish each other's thoughts. _What was that all about? _

_Apparently Dooku hates Darkover more that we thought. _

_But why now, does it have something to do with the news from the Separatist senate, or is there more?_

_ I don't know, but we'll probably find out. _

Mace had finished looking at the data. "The information seems fairly complete, but I don't trust Dooku or his intentions. We cannot trust the data from the source."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, "this seems too much like a trap for us to follow up on. If we do, then we risk falling into a massive ambush."

"Agree I do. But the only trail we have at the moment, it is. Follow it, with our own intelligence, we should."

"So where is Darkover according to Dooku's information?" Asked Anakin.

Mace glanced at his screen. "Based on this, he is fortified on Lorahns, and he has a sizable fleet at his disposal."

Ahsoka frowned, thinking. "Lorahns…isn't that a Republic planet? Why would Darkover risk setting up base there?"

Shaak Ti spoke up, via hologram. _"While it may be in the Republic padawan, the people living there aren't especially friendly to the Jedi. Lorahns' dominate religion, the Order of the Ffib, believe that the Jedi have committed numerous atrocities in the past and they consider us to be heretics for not following their religion."_

"That makes sense now why Darkover would go there, he would find plenty of help there." Anakin said.

"It's not exactly that clear-cut Skywalker," Eeth Koth said, "the Ffib also believe that any other religion or order is against theirs and they force anybody living on their planet to convert to their religion. They've been tolerated on Lorahns because they have brought stability to the planet. Darkover either found some way to get around that, or he has been converted, which seems highly unlikely."

"The question still remains: what are we going to do with this new information?" Plo-Koon asked. "Do we trust Dooku's data enough to follow up on it, or do we wait until we are certain about it?" He slowly shook his head; "I feel that either way will end poorly for us."

Shaak Ti spoke again. _"Any move by us could potentially turn into a mistake. If we attack, we run the risk of springing a trap. But if we do nothing, another Sith might escape our grasp."_

The Council now seemed to be reconsidering attacking now. Yoda sat quietly, thinking. Finally he said, "Hmmm. Difficult decision this is. Careful we must be, if to avoid making the wrong choice, we want. A solution I may have, but time to consider the options, I need."

"What options are there? We know where Darkover is, we should attack him now and kill him." Anakin said with some aggression.

"It's not that simple Skywalker," Mace said, with a disapproving tone in his voice, "according to the data, Darkover has most if not all of the Separatist Sixth Fleet with him. To attack him will take a massive amount of resources and planning."

Obi-Wan was also looking at the data. "To get the amount of ships and clones needed for this attack will be a challenge in on itself. We will have to make major redeployments to cover our attack, mostly from the fourth and thirteenth armies. And that's even if we decide to attack."

Anakin spoke in, "If we do attack, I suggest that we gather the 501st and the Open Circle Fleet for this operation. If we truly want to destroy Darkover's forces, then they will get the job done."

"We still need to decide if we want to attack, Skywalker." Mace said. "Further, the allocation of troops is for the council to decide." Mace said, shooting him down.

Anakin seethed. _When will I be able to speak my mind?_ He wondered. Then another thought came to mind, bringing him slight enjoyment at it. "Actually, with all due respect, the Chancellor actually has the final say about deployments. We should discuss any plans we have with him first before doing anything." Anakin liked seeing the council squirm at this, but only because he returned the favor.

Several members of the Council exchanged uncomfortable glances. The Council did not want to discuss any of this with Palpatine, because they had an inkling of an idea that he was somehow linked to the Sith. Just exactly how, they didn't know, and they weren't entirely sure if he was. To give the Chancellor any information is to run the chance that it could be used by the Sith.

But Anakin was right, if only partially. They didn't need to go to Palpatine for authorization, but if they didn't, then that would just turn on them eventually in public opinion and also in the Senate. They were pigeonholed and they knew it.

Yoda sighed. "Inform the chancellor, we will, of our intentions. Until then, decide what to do, we must. Take the risk and attack, do we, or wait for information, from our intelligence?"

Put like that, the Council decided that they should attack and take any risk, for to not attack is to run an even greater risk of letting a known Sith run free.

"A battle strategy, we will need, after discussing this with the Chancellor. Many troops, and many ships we will require."

"I'm sure the Chancellor will allow us to get whatever we need once we explain the situation to him." Anakin said, struggling to keep the smugness out of his voice.

"I think after _you_ explain it to him, Skywalker," Mace said, "since you seem to be so eager to talk to him." That stopped Anakin's enjoyment and brought confusion onto his face.

"Yes," Obi-Wan said to Anakin with a very small smirk at seeing his reaction, "I think the Chancellor would be more likely to approve our request if Anakin were to deliver it to him personally."

Anakin opened his mouth, then thought better of it and closed it. _They're asking me to do something for them again when they could do it instead. Do I always need to their work?_ But Anakin held back his tongue and instead said, "Yes Masters," but without any real enthusiasm. Anakin had always enjoyed talking to Palpatine, but not about Jedi matters and certainly not when the Council sent him.

Mace looked around then spoke again, "Now then, if there is nothing else the council wants to discuss at this time, the Council is dismissed." At that several holograms disappeared, and the rest present got up and made their way out.

Anakin and Ahsoka both left slightly ahead of the crowd, not speaking to each other. Both of them were thinking hard about the events that had transpired.

For Ahsoka, it was an eye opener. She never expected to see the Council to be so set on one course, then suddenly be thrown off of it, and then return back to it. It was strange for her to see the order that stood because of its rigidness have its council sway so much in just a few minuets. _The Council must take these matters very seriously, but why can't it stay on one set of actions? If it changed positions so quickly, then what's going to stop it from doing it again on the next big thing?_

Anakin was having slightly different thoughts. _Why is it always me? Anybody could have done it, Yoda, Windu, even Obi-Wan, but why me? What if I had said "no", what then? Would they have punished me, or would they have kicked me out of the order? Actually that last option wouldn't be so bad; at least I'd be able to be with Padmé then. _Anakin knew that he wouldn't have been kicked from the order, but that would not stop other things that would put him more under the Council's control.

_Always the errand boy, always the one that does their work. Maybe it's because I'm the Chosen One that they put me through so much. But then why do they expect me to do everything for them._ He breathed in through is nose and out through his mouth, an old calming technique. It worked somewhat. _Stay calm; loosing your temper is not the Jedi way. Focus. _Anakin relaxed and felt better, but not by much.

Anakin and Ahsoka both had gone down to the lower levels by the time they finished their lines of thought. Ready to break the silence between them, Ahsoka spoke first. "So, you're going to tell the Chancellor that Darkover is alive?" She said, prompting him.

Anakin nodded, "I have to, the Council told me to and our duty to the galaxy also compels us to take action against the Sith." He said, wincing internally: he sounded like a holo-recording of Jedi teachings he heard as a padawan. "The thing is, I don't know where to start." He admitted.

Ahsoka understood what he meant. "Tell him the truth: that Darkover has been discovered still alive and the Jedi are planning to finish the job. The fact that he is a military commander for the Separatists, combined with the knowledge that he is a Sith should probably sway the Chancellor."

Anakin smirked. "Perhaps it should be you to tell the Chancellor himself." Sometimes he forgot how much of his bluntness wore off on her. He could see himself in her, but mixed with a little bit of Obi-Wan's control. _Ahsoka has come far in her training,_ he reminded himself.

Ahsoka looked a little shocked at that. "Me? No thank you. You're much better at that than I am." Even as she said that, she realized he meant that as a compliment. It still didn't make it any more confortable. She always got a weird feeling like she wasn't wanted when she and her master met with the Chancellor. _That's probably just him being a politician, but still._ She thought.

Anakin smiled a little at his padawan's discomfort, but didn't press it. "I try not to be," he said, "but I end up doing it anyway."

"Someone has to." Ahsoka said in passing.

But that comment re-sparked the debate going in Anakin's mind about his place and the Council's will. _"Someone has to." It always ends up being me, doesn't it? Every time I'm on Coruscant this happens. Does the Council even talk to Palpatine when I'm not around?_

Anakin spoke again, "Yes, and it seems to be me most of the time." He paused, remembering to reign in his frustration, and then switched the topic. "Let's not talk about politics anymore, alright? While I'm gone, maybe you can find someone to finish up our sparring lesson. Maybe Obi-Wan would be interested if he's not too busy."

Ahsoka knew that Anakin was trying to move to something else to keep his mind off something, but this time she didn't feel like confronting it. When Anakin started talking about sparing, she knew that it would be the better choice to take him up on that offer. "I'll go ask him. I think I know enough tricks to keep him on his toes."

Anakin chuckled. 'Remember, he taught me, and I taught you, so he should know some of them. He _is_ a master after all."

"And I'm learning from the best." Ahsoka said. And she meant it. Anakin may not be the traditional Jedi, but what he did differently was what made him a better person, which in turn made him a better Jedi.

"Well I'm not the best yet, but I'm getting there." Anakin said jokingly. "Now why don't you find Obi-Wan. He should be around here somewhere."

"No need, I'm right behind you." Anakin and Ahsoka both turned around and saw Obi-Wan coming up behind them. They both were so involved in their own thoughts that they had walked rather briskly from the Council room. It was only when they changed the topic that they slowed their pace which allowed Obi-Wan to catch up. "Now what did you want me for?"

"Ahsoka wanted to ask you if you had time to spar with her later. We didn't exactly finish before we got called. " Anakin said before Ahsoka had a chance to speak.

She frowned at him. _First it was his suggestion, and now he's asking for me?_ She looked back at Obi-Wan, and picked up the conversation from where Anakin left off. "That is, if you have nothing pressing to do Master." She said.

Obi-Wan considered the offer. "Well I suppose I could. The Council will take some time in planning the attack on Darkover, and I don't need to be there right away, but we should finish before I am needed again." He said to Ahsoka, and then he turned to Anakin. "Now, shouldn't you be getting to the Chancellor?"

Anakin's darker mood returned. "Of course. I'll see you two later." At that he turned and made his way to the Jedi Temple hanger bay.

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka both looked after him. "He seems troubled lately master." Ahsoka said tentatively.

"Yes, I've noticed. But I think that's just stress caused by the war. Even the Council feels it from time to time." Obi-Wan sighed; he too was troubled because the Council seemed too set on destroying Darkover for comfort. Even if he was a Sith, the massive support for attacking was astonishing, even to Kenobi. _It's probably for the best though, _he thought. Turning back to Ahsoka, he put a smile on his face. "Now then, shall we practice?"

"Yes Master. This should be interesting."

"Oh I have no doubt of that."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.**

* * *

_Coruscant: Chancellor's Suite - Republic Executive Building_

"Ah, Anakin, do come in." Palpatine said as he opened the door

"Thank you, your Excellency." Anakin walked into the room. The room itself was circular in shape and the walls and floors were red.

"I understand that you have war sensitive material to tell me?" Palpatine said as they slowly walked around the room side by side.

Anakin paused, unsure what to say. "Yes," he started, "the Jedi Council has recently discovered the location of a Separatist admiral, and they want authorization to reassign certain fleets and units to attack him."

"Oh? And just who is this admiral that the Council is so interested in that they feel that the forces under their command aren't enough?" Palpatine asked, seemingly curious about the request.

_Kriff, how do I say this? _Anakin thought. "The admiral is Darkover." He said.

"Darkover…." Palpatine mused as he sat behind his desk with Anakin standing in front. "Darkover. That name is familiar. Isn't he the admiral that made those attacks in the mid-rim not too long ago?" he recalled. "According to the report, you killed him in combat onboard his ship and then destroyed it with his body allegedly still onboard."

"Yes I did, but apparently I didn't do a good enough job and he survived and is still at large." Anakin found himself speaking a little easier now that he started. More at ease, he sat down in a chair opposite Palpatine.

"Even if he is, how did the Council come by this information when Republic intelligence could not?"

_Uh-oh._ "Err… the information _did_ partially come from intelligence that was operating in the Separatist senate, and its data was given more credence from an encrypted transmission we intercepted between Darkover and General Grievous. But it was only recently that we discovered where he is."

"How was this come by? I have received no information on any of this, so I am not fully aware of the situation." Palpatine said gesturing to several data-pads on his desk.

"The, uh, data was delivered to us by Count Dooku." Anakin grimaced, expecting some sort of disbelief or incredibility.

Palpatine merely nodded slowly, thinking. "I will admit, I am surprised at who gave you this information." Then he frowned, "But then that doesn't explain why Dooku would seemingly betray one of his own commanders. He would just be hindering the Separatist army by doing so and would be getting rid of a valuable commander on his part."

"That's not the whole story, your Excellency."

"Then will you care to explain?"

Anakin gritted his teeth. He wanted to explain everything to the chancellor, but he was unsure how much the Council wanted him to tell. _Aww, to heck with it. _"Darkover is more than the Council stated. They have confirmed beyond doubt that Darkover is a Sith Pureblood."

Palpatine frowned with surprise on his face. "A Sith pureblood? I know little about the actual species, apart from the name that has been passed on, but I thought that they had all perished several thousand years ago." He paused. "Now I see why the Council is so interested in him. Does the Council believe this Darkover to be the Sith master they have been searching for?"

"That is one possibility we have considered, but the Council disagrees with that assumption. Darkover is a Sith and he does use the Dark Side, but I personally think that he is not Count Dooku's master." Anakin said, voicing his own beliefs.

"Excuse my ignorance in Jedi matters, but if Count Dooku and Darkover are both Sith, if only in name as you claim, then why are they not allying together? That would seem like the most logical choice for them."

Anakin had been wondering the same thing since his first encounter with Darkover. "I'm not sure, but the answer may have something to do with Sith machinations. From what I understand about them, they seem to follow a strict rule where there can only be a master and an apprentice." Anakin said, working it out in his head as he was saying it. "Darkover represents a break with that tradition, and might pose a threat to Dooku and his master if he got too much influence in the Separatist senate."

Palpatine looked amused. "That seems more like politics than actions of a Sith, but it does seem like the most plausible answer. I think that you have figured this out on your own, rather than listen to the Council's reasons. Very clever, my young friend. I suppose that once you fight an enemy for so long, you begin to understand and figure them out." He said, looking pointedly at Anakin.

Anakin felt slightly uncomfortable, but didn't know why. The Chancellor just gave him a complement, so he should feel good. But something gnawed at the back of his head, giving him pause. Anakin decided to ignore this. Why shouldn't he? Palpatine had always given him his support, so why shouldn't Anakin trust him? "Thank you, your Excellency." He said.

Palpatine returned to the conversation. "However, that still does not explain why the Council needs more ships and clones to attack him. Don't they have enough troops as it is?"

"The Council has decided that Darkover represents too great a threat to the Republic for any normal measures to be applied."

"They mean that he represents a threat to the Jedi Order, because he is a Sith." Palpatine sighed, "I assume that even if Darkover wasn't a Separatist admiral the Council would still go after him in force, just because he is a Sith."

Anakin smiled grimly. "I would also assume that as well. The Sith have always meant the Jedi harm and usually the Republic gets caught in the middle."

Palpatine sighed. "That goes to show that Jedi problems interfere with the workings of the Republic. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Jedi matters should not be the concern the Republic."

Palpatine stood up, but Anakin remained seated, thinking. _Why _should_ we bring the Republic into this? This is mostly the Council's decision, and it really only reflects the Jedi views, not the Republic's. We shouldn't need to divert other forces to combat a concern that really only affects the Jedi._

Just as Anakin was about to speak again, Palpatine spoke first. "However, because Darkover is a Separatist admiral, and is responsible for numerous Republic defeats, the Council has my authorization to use any forces they deem necessary." He picked up a datapad and started typing on it.

That was a small surprise to Anakin. _I expected this to be a little harder, the way the Council reacts to Palpatine._ He stood up. "Thank you your Excellency, the Council will be pleased with your decision."

"Do not mistake my decision as based on concern for Jedi affairs." Palpatine said firmly. "I have made a military decision, not biased by Jedi beliefs and concerns. I do not condone Darkover for merely being whom and what he is, unlike the Council, but he does represent a military threat to the Republic and he must be brought to justice." He finished, and signed the datapad, which he gave to Anakin. It contained Palpatine's signature and authorization to use any Republic forces the Council deems fit for the duration of the operation.

Anakin took the datapad, glanced at it, and then looked back at the Chancellor. "I'm sure the Council will be able to quickly eliminate Darkover before his influence spreads."

"Oh I have no doubt. If it's one thing the Jedi are good at, it's fighting the Sith."

Anakin gave a small smile. "They do seem to be our specialty."

"Hmm, indeed. Now then, if there is nothing else, I believe you have a admiral to find."

Anakin bowed and left the room. _This will be interesting,_ he thought, _Darkover will be most certainly be expecting an attack, but maybe not what we're planning. Knowing the Council, they will use everything that can be spared to attack him… _Anakin paused in his thoughts as he made his way to his speeder. _But won't that just be overkill. I mean, I know he is a Sith, but does this really require as much forces at the Council thinks? If we draw that many resources away, won't that just be opening up more spaces for the Separatists to attack? For once, I hope there is more that I don't know otherwise this might be a big mistake we're making. _With that thought, Anakin got into his speeder and hit the accelerator, making his way back to the Jedi Temple.

* * *

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

* * *

"You need to jump higher if you do that, otherwise someone would have taken off your legs." Obi-Wan said as Ahsoka completed a flip over his head to attack his back. She landed and struck, but was too late as Obi-Wan moved to block her blade. She quickly moved in again with her lightsaber, but Obi-Wan spun out of the reach of the blade and resumed his defensive Soresu stance.

"Well you wouldn't have anyway," Ahsoka said in reply, "you're too defensive for something like that."

Obi-Wan smiled, "Says the one who hasn't landed a single blow to the one who has scored several hits." This was true. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka had been sparing steadily for the last few minuets using the non-lethal setting on their lightsabers. Obi-Wan so far was the only one who had scored any hits, leaving several sore spots on Ahsoka's body.

_Now I know why he is a Master,_ Ahsoka thought, _he has blocked all my attacks and managed to hit me without seeming to break a sweat. This is very different from Anakin's style._

Anakin was a masterful user of Djem So, which uses aggressive movements bellied with brute force, perfect for someone like Skywalker. Anakin was in the process of teaching more Djem So to Ahsoka to give her Ataru and Shien more force, something that the Ataru style lacks but makes up for with acrobatics and speed. Ahsoka's mixture of Ataru, Shien, and Djem So, combined with her using two lightsabers, a regular length one and a shorter shoto, made her a whirlwind in battle.

However, this was countered with Kenobi's combination of Soresu and Niman, which use the opponent's attacks against them, overextending them and leaving them open to disarmament from a slight angle change in the defender's lightsaber. Some say that a master of Soresu can't be defeated in single combat, but they overlook the fact that sometimes the Soresu user can't beat the opponent.

Ahsoka had been testing Obi-Wan's defenses to find a hole and getting used to his style. She had been using only her main lightsaber during their sparing, and was trying to refrain from switching to her Shien reverse grip at Anakin's insistence, but that added a level of difficulty for her since she had grown used to that style of dual-wielding combat and was taking some of her concentration to not revert to it.

Ahsoka rushed at Obi-Wan again, this time with a strike from the right, and followed it up with several sweeping blows that had some power behind them. However, the strokes were too wide and took too long to perform so Obi-Wan's blade was already blocking the next strike before it was even started, barely moving from his posture. Ahsoka spun trying to get more weight into her next blow, but she sensed danger and instead turned her spin into a roll, narrowly avoiding Obi-Wan's intended counter attack. She came back onto her knees then jumped up and brought down her blade at Obi-Wan putting her full weight into the blow. Obi-Wan didn't even try to block it, and instead stepped slightly to the right_. Oh no you don't,_ Ahsoka thought and tried to turn her overhead blow into a swipe, but was too late and she earned herself another sting on her arm.

She paused and rubbed her arm, trying to lessen the sting. Obi-Wan stood by and deactivated his lightsaber. "You overextended your attack Ahsoka. Don't try to hit an opponent that is out of your reach otherwise you will fall into theirs." He said.

Ahsoka groaned and deactivated her lightsaber as well. "I know, I know." She said, getting some of her frustration out. "I'll try to avoid making that mistake again, master." _Almost the exact same thing that happened to me earlier, just reversed,_ she thought, remembering her earlier sparing session with Anakin. It was the same movements, but the roles were reversed with Anakin attacking and Ahsoka defending with a different outcome.

Thinking about that made Ahsoka want to do better. She noticed Obi-Wan still watching her, and she looked back. She grinned and asked, "One more round?"

Obi-Wan thought about it. There was still no word from Anakin or the Council and it was getting later in the day, but there was nothing left to do until the Chancellor gave his approval. "Well why not?" he shrugged and re-ignited his lightsaber.

Ahsoka did the same, but she had a different strategy in mind this time. _Play my strengths against the opponent's weaknesses. _She thought. _Obi-Wan's style is suited for defense with counter attacks when your attacks fail. Minimal movements to protect the body. I'm all about speed and power, but that won't work against Master Kenobi as illustrated by the last several rounds. He predicts my moves and counters them before I even start them. So what if I make my attacks unpredictable to block? _A new strategy emerged in her mind. _This might be difficult and dangerous, but it could pay off._

As with the previous times, Obi-Wan made the first move. Each round he started with a different attack, but all focused around the same basic attack principle of Niman. His strike came from the middle right, but instead of blocking the attack like she had done before, Ahsoka made a risky choice and ducked under the attack. She heard the lightsaber hum over her head and was thankful that her flexibility could manage that move. She stood up and hoped backwards when Obi-Wan reversed his attack, sending it back the way it came at her. His lightsaber missed her abdomen by mere centimeters.

She backed up and waited for Obi-Wan's next move. Obi-Wan cocked his head and smiled a little. He noticed this change and knew she had taken his words to heart. "You're learning quickly Ahsoka." He said referring to his earlier advice. He had noticed that Ahsoka didn't go on the offensive immediately after his first strike this time, and figured she had learned from her previous mistakes.

Obi-Wan knew that Ahsoka would first try Ataru first and then, once she had tired, switch to a more basic Djem So, as she had previously done. _However, I don't think she will be too predictable this time. _Obi-Wan thought. _Ahsoka has gotten used to my style now and has probably thought of a way to try and counter it. But I think I'll switch things up on her as well._ Instead of waiting for Ahsoka to attack, he went on the offensive. He moved steadily at her, taking his own time instead of rushing at her after she dodged to catch her off balance. _She's too nimble for that to work, so I'll just have to wear her down. _

And it seemed to be working. After the previous rounds Ahsoka had been the one using up the most energy with her movements, and she was moving slower than her normal speed. Ahsoka was still using only one blade and was trying to keep Obi-Wan's lightsaber from hitting her. Obi-Wan spun his blade around in a downward strike and Ahsoka flipped backwards to avoid it, then she angled her lightsaber to make Obi-Wan's next attack slide off. She then held her lightsaber horizontally and stepped forward so Obi-Wan couldn't get the full momentum on his next attack.

The two crossed lightsabers and they faced each other, their faces only a couple inches away. Obi-Wan looked into Ahsoka's eyes and saw something that he didn't expect: boredom. _Why would she be bored? We're dueling and she's lost the last few rounds._ Ahsoka then gave a little smirk from across their blades and that made Obi-Wan really think. _She must have an idea for her to be so confidant. _

Ahsoka didn't disappoint. Surprising Obi-Wan, she deactivated her lightsaber. _What? What is she thinking?_ Without the other lightsaber holding it back, Obi-Wan's lightsaber started to move forward. But Ahsoka wasn't where it was moving. She spun counterclockwise around Obi-Wan, and in the same movement she drew and ignited her shoto, which she held in the reverse-grip. The spinning would have made Ahsoka's shoto go right into Obi-Wan's ribs if he hadn't managed to get his lightsaber to intercept it. Ahsoka then jumped over Obi-Wan and reignited her lightsaber and swung behind her. Obi-Wan batted her lightsaber blade away from him and quickly brought it up to block her shoto.

Ahsoka then did another unexpected thing: she threw her lightsaber in the air. It spun once and the blade deactivated, as being away from its owner's grasp made it automatically shut off. _What is she thinking?_ Obi-Wan thought again. He used the force to throw the airborne lightsaber away from both of them.

Ahsoka felt through the Force to sense where her lightsaber was headed. She then jumped up with incredible speed and caught the lightsaber in a backflip before it was flung away, which she then reignited it in the reverse-grip and used the flip to swing at Obi-Wan. The momentum of the move, combined with the force her lightsaber was moving at, turned her backflip into a spin and let her lightsaber meet Obi-Wan's before he had a chance to attack her while she was in the air. She landed and struck with her shoto again, then switched to her lightsaber again for the next strike. The two then exchanged a series of blows where Ahsoka was attacking and Obi-Wan was stepping backwards away from her. Breaking off from the attack, Ahsoka stepped back and turned off her shoto, but kept her lightsaber on.

Obi-Wan was starting to breathe heavily. He had not expected that flurry of movements from Ahsoka and had almost let one or two strikes hit him. _That was definitely different. I've never seen Ahsoka do something like that before._ "Since when did you learn to do something like that?"

Ahsoka smiled and flipped her lightsaber back into a normal forward grip. "Just now," She said and then lunged at him with her lightsaber. Obi-Wan parried that attack and blocked again when Ahsoka reignited her shoto and struck with that. Ahsoka kept up a constant stream of attacks where she would suddenly turn off one of her blades only to switch them on again when the other was blocked. This constant on-off battle style was actually quite difficult for Ahsoka, who was only trying it out for the first time. But it seemed to be working as she had driven Obi-Wan back several meters, more than the past rounds.

Obi-Wan however was still a master, while Ahsoka just a padawan. Ahsoka had surprised Obi-Wan at first, but he had quickly regained his composure and was letting Ahsoka stretch herself too far in her attacks and was waiting for the right moment. _Ahsoka is focused too heavily on her new attack plan to notice what I am doing. Now is the time._

Ahsoka, still in her method of attack, had just reignited her lightsaber and was currently using both blades now, both held in reverse-grip. She struck with both at the same time, crossing them in front of her to attack. Obi-Wan stood his ground and used his lightsaber to block both of them. Then using an expert move, he twirled his lightsaber, causing Ahsoka to lose her grip on both blades. They fell to the floor deactivated. Obi-Wan held his blade up to Ahsoka's neck. "That about does it." He said.

Ahskoa said "Solah," which was traditional fro a Jedi to say after they were beaten. Obi-Wan, hearing that lowered his blade and deactivated it. Ahsoka breathed out heavily. She knew that her strategy was imperfect and impractical, and it was probably the only time she would use it. "Thank you master," She said, "that was… different." She could not find the words to adequately describe it.

"Yes it was." Obi-Wan said. "Since when did you learn how to use that style of combat?"

"I didn't. I don't even know if it was an official style. I sort of just made it up as I went along."

_So much like Anakin,_ Obi-Wan thought. "The form is called Tràkata," He explained, "and it's a very rare form of combat, even among the Jedi. It's very impractical during this age of blasters and is dangerous if you don't use it properly."

Ahsoka nodded. "Yes, I think I've seen something referencing it in the Archives before but never thought much of it until now. I haven't tried it out before and that's why it didn't work, and I don't think I'll use it again. It took too much concentration and was a waste of energy."

Obi-Wan shook his head in amazement. _That was almost exactly what I was going to say,_ he thought. "My thoughts exactly. Tràkata takes a lot of planning ahead of what you are going to do and that can be distracting and deadly to someone unpracticed in it."

"Don't worry about me. I don't think I'm good enough yet for that to work anyway. There are better things to focus on, like perfecting my own style." She picked up her lightsabers and then used the Force to open them and change the setting from training to full power. Obi-Wan followed suit.

"I suggest practicing what you do know and perfecting the fighting styles that suit you. Focus on what you're strong at rather than use something unfamiliar."

"Yes master, that's what Anakin told me earlier as well. What I did just now didn't feel like me and I'm not eager to try it again." It was true, Ahsoka had improvised on the spot and it didn't work this time. The fighting style was too different, too foreign for her tastes.

"I'm glad you realized that." Obi-Wan said, and then was interrupted by the beeping of his communicator. He answered it and the voice of Mace Windu was heard.

_"Master Kenobi, your presence is required in the War Room. Chancellor Palpatine has given us permission to attack Darkover and we need you here to help us plan our strike." _

Obi-Wan looked at Ahsoka. They had almost forgotten what had happened this morning, so engrossed in their sparring they were. "I'll be right there." He said, and then shut off his comm.

"I guess Anakin got the Chancellor's approval then." Ahsoka said, somewhat subdued.

"So it seems." Obi-Wan said as he left, leaving Ahsoka in the training room.

"Well, there goes everybody." Ahsoka muttered to herself. Here she was all alone again, no one around once more. Deciding she didn't want to fight against the training droids, she walked out of the room back to her quarters. _I hope this Darkover thing gets sorted out quickly; it's putting everyone on edge._ She could feel the nervous energy coming from the Temple. Jedi who have heard nothing about the developments this morning could feel something was up. Even the younglings sensed something, as they looked around like something was going to happen.

_I know this is going to end badly, but why am I not as nervous as the Council is? I should be, but I'm not._ It was a bit frightening being this calm, when everybody around her wasn't. _I guess the war has toughened me up. I've more experience in dealing with the Dark Side._ It was true, as she had faced Grievous and Asajj Ventress several times before, not to mention Darkover. _Not that's something to be proud of, but it's something_.

She paused in her walking. _You know, I think I'm going to go to the Archives instead of my room. I feel like learning more about our enemy and seeing what the Archives have about Sith wars. Darkover may be trying to bring back old traditions, so there might be something we missed the first time._ She turned down a hallway and made her way to the Jedi Archives.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or The Clone Wars. **

* * *

_Coruscant: Jedi Temple- War Room_

Obi-Wan walked to the War Room thinking about his sparring with Ahsoka. _I didn't think Ahsoka could pull something out of the bag like that, _he thought remembering Ahsoka's imperfect use of Tràkata. _I guess it goes to show how much she's grown in the Force and in her skills. But I don't think she should practice Tràkata at all. Not many Jedi have ever used it, so there isn't much training she could get from a master. But the form is dangerous because if someone makes a wrong move, they could suddenly find themselves without a defense. It's even worse against blasters._ He finished as he reached his destination.

As Obi-Wan entered the room, he could feel the conflicting emotions in the Force. Most of the masters that were present in the Temple were gathered here: Mace Windu, Eeth Koth, Luminara Unduli, Adi Gallia, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Plo Koon were some. A few other select Jedi were scattered throughout the room. Some masters were not present, most notably Yoda. There were a few Clone commanders and other military personnel were there as well, such as Commander Cody and Captain Rex.

When Obi-Wan walked into the room, Mace looked up from a datapad he was holding. "Ah, Master Kenobi. Now we can begin."

The assembled Jedi took their seats around the room. Obi-Wan sat next to a distracted Anakin and said, "So how did your meeting with the Chancellor go?"

Anakin glanced at him before turning to look at the holoprojector in the center of the room. "Well it went fine didn't it? I got the Chancellor's approval didn't I?" And he just left it at that.

Obi-Wan frowned. _This isn't like him. He's troubled about something._ Just before he was about to go further, Mace dimmed the lights down, signaling the start of the meeting.

"As you may or may not be aware, we are going to be planning a strike at a Separatist admiral. However, if he were just a regular admiral, I would not have called you all here today. The admiral is a Sith Pureblood called Darkover." Mace tapped a button and a bust of Darkover taken from the decoded message appeared, rotating around in the projection. There was some scattered murmuring from the Jedi who had no knowledge of what had transpired this morning, but that quickly died down. "I doubt that I need to explain why we need to eliminate this Sith before he can do any more damage to the Jedi or the Republic.

"Information has been passed down to us from a very questionable source, but until we can confirm it with our own intelligence, it is all that we have right now."

Anakin smirked from his seat. _We're using information given to us by a Sith to kill a Sith. If that isn't ironic, I don't know what is. _

Mace continued on. "Master Yoda is contacting a Jedi Master to see if he can go in to get more intel on Darkover, and possibly act as an advance guard for the upcoming invasion. In the meantime, we will go over the data that we currently have and use it to plan our preliminary strike." A few more controls were tapped and the image changed to an image of a planet. "This is Lorahns, and is where Darkover has made his base of operations. He has a sizable portion of the Separatist Sixth Fleet with him, which amounts to around three thousand ships and close to five hundred thousand battle droids."

Once again the room was muttering with shocked voices. "Three thousand ships and that many droids?" Anakin whispered to Obi-Wan, "That's going to take a major strike force to even out the score."

"It's a good thing that we got the Chancellor's support, otherwise we might not have even attempted this."

_I find that hard to believe, _thought Anakin. _The Council would do anything to get rid of a Sith once they knew where he could be found. _Anakin was still a little irked at the Council, but it had lessened now.

Mace started talking again. "However, thanks to Chancellor Palpatine, we now have the authority to gather any forces we need to take on Darkover's army. This will be a two-stage battle: the first will take place in space and the second on the ground." Once again, the hologram shifted, this time showing the various positions of the Separatist fleet and any other threats around the planet. "The enemy fleet is spread out in a basic blockade formation encircling the planet, however the main bulk of the fleet is around the northern hemisphere." Mace said pointing to the hologram. "They are above a high quality planetary shield that prevents us from making an orbital bombardment. The shield also will disrupt the propulsion of any ship bigger than a frigate passing though it, so atmospheric travel for our larger vessels is not recommended while the shield is still operational. Our fleet's main strike will be at this point, just south of the buildup." The hologram zoomed in and a point lit up, signaling the area where the strike would concentrate.

"Everything depends on speed here. Once we poke a hole, we should have enough time to send a cruiser down to land troops and attack the main city. Hopefully we can establish a foothold there before the Separatists respond to our attack. After we are clear of the Separatist fleet, we will fly more troops in to secure the city and destroy the shield generator. Our fleet will provide cover for the carriers to land and unload the rest of our troops here." A point lit up just south of the City. "After then, we will concentrate on attacking Darkover's fortress." Another point lit up further south of the city and the initial drop point. "Once we have our main force on the ground, we will then storm the fortress. A Jedi team will be leading the way to confront Darkover and will be the first to fight him. I must emphasize that non-Jedi are not encouraged to directly confront Darkover for their safety. I will not risk the lives of any one to confront him alone.

"Once Darkover has been eliminated and the Separatist Sixth Fleet neutralized, we will regroup and leave Lorahns. This is not a planetary invasion, merely a strategical strike, albeit on a massive scale. After the attack, the fleet will be returned to their normal commanders. Are there any questions?" He finished.

Anakin thought about the plan. _It is a good plan, direct and to the point. But Darkover doesn't think like that. _Anakin cleared his throat and spoke up. "If I may Master?" Mace looked over at him and after a moment nodded his head for Anakin to continue. Anakin stood up and walked down to the hologram. "The plan is good, but I have a suggestion. I've fought Darkover before and he plans ahead of every battle. I'd expect that he is expecting some sort of attack, either from us or from Dooku, and has planed accordingly. We should assume that he has some sort of ambush or trap planned for any attackers. We don't have our own data to back this up and I don't trust this data one hundred percent. We may well be missing something that has been added or changed recently. I'd personally watch out for any ships that aren't where they should be, because that means he's set them up somewhere else for an ambush like he did at Bothawui."

"Thank you Skywalker, we'll keep that under advisement." Anakin nodded and went back to his seat. "Anyone else?" When no one spoke up, Mace finished up. "I will personally be commanding this attack. Masters Koth, Unduli, Mundi, and Kenobi will be leading the fleet while Masters Fisto, and Koon, along with General Skywalker will be leading the ground forces." Anakin straightened up at this. "You will be updated more on the plan when our intelligence reports to us. In the meantime, the fleet will start gathering at Kuat today and will depart in three days time. We have until then. You are dismissed."

There was some general shuffling as people made their way out of the room. Only Anakin remained seated as people moved past him. Obi-Wan, who had gotten up and was near the door at this point, looked back at Anakin and called his name. Seeming to come out of a trance, Anakin looked up and also made his way out with Obi-Wan. "What's got you so distracted?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I guess I wasn't expecting to be made a leader of this battle. I thought that Master Windu would have picked another master to lead, not me."

"Anakin, believe it or not but your history of victories has spread even to the Jedi Temple. It seems that your experience has gotten you recognized as a superb general. Of course I'd have a thing or two to say about that but that's beside the point. You're a natural leader Anakin, and although its been proven many times, the Council likes to take its time with its decisions and only act when necessary."

"So are you saying that they only want to use me because they need to?"

Obi-Wan frowned. "That was a poor choice of words on my part, but you know that's not true Anakin. The Council would trust you with their lives."

_Yes but do I trust them with _my_ life?_ Anakin thought. But instead he said, "I wonder why they keep me at arms length then? More and more lately they seem to be pushing me aside, and I don't know why."

Obi-Wan sighed. He knew this was coming ever since he got onto the Council. While the Jedi Council trusted Anakin, they could also sense his Force potential could be tilted both ways, and that made them cautious. "To be frank, I don't know why either." He said, "But I do know that you are a strong Jedi and you will do what needs to be done. In this, the Council believes in you. Have some faith in them. "

Anakin turned to look Obi-Wan in the eye and he looked back. Obi-Wan knew him well and guessed that Anakin was just releasing some pent up aggression. War will do that to a person, it has a way of stretching a person's personality beyond what is healthy.

Obi-Wan's words seemed to calm Anakin. The aggression seemed to leave his eyes and was replaced with a tired look. He gave a small smile and said, "Thank you for that."

"Anytime."

Anakin breathed in and regained his composure. "Now, what is the plan to attack Darkover?"

Obi-Wan smirked, "You just heard it. I don't know much more than you do at this point. Master Windu and Master Yoda seem to be keeping a closed lid on this plan."

"Is it because they are worried that Darkover might find out about it, or that Dooku is setting us up?" Anakin asked.

"It's probably a combination of both. Also our information is incomplete on this matter. On one hand we have a Sith within our grasp, but on the other, another Sith put him in our grasp to begin with."

"I think that it is a good idea that Yoda is sending in someone to gather reconnaissance, but I wonder who they managed to get in."

"Another thing I don't know. This master must be good otherwise this'll never work out."

Anakin gave a short laugh. "Didn't you just tell me to have faith in the Council? If Master Yoda thinks that this Master is good enough, then they better be."

"Ha! Quite right Anakin." Obi-Wan laughed as they walked side by side down the halls of the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan had to hand it to Anakin; he was still trying to have a sense of humor through all this. "So, shall we gather the troops?"

"Sure. I've been meaning to make some adaptations to our ships, and now seems a perfect time to do it, especially if we're going to Kuat."

"Just remember that I'm going to be using those ships this time, Anakin. Don't do anything that will leave a mess which I will have to clean up later."

Anakin smiled and started walking forward faster. "Don't worry about it, you'll like it once I figure out the details."

"You mean that you haven't even started on it?" Obi-Wan said incredulously.

Anakin was walking backwards talking to Obi-Wan now. "No, I have. I just need to fine tune some things."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, who seemed to be enjoying his disgruntlement. "And I suppose that you are going to go finish those things now?"

Anakin beamed back. "You know me too well. I'll get back to you once I'm done." And with that, he took off down the halls back to his quarters.

Obi-Wan sighed with some amusement hidden beneath his voice. "I know you too well for comfort." Anakin would spend the next few days going over the idea that he just came up with, and then rush to implement it and would barely get it working just in time to use it. All the while he would talk about how it was going well and saying that it would be done in time.

"I know you all too well." Obi-Wan repeated, and then shook his head. He then continued walking and was vaguely heading to find somewhere quiet and peaceful. After the Council meeting, sparing with Ahsoka, and the war briefing, Obi-Wan wanted somewhere to meditate in the little time that he had to himself. _Find the quiet and calm now, because you may not find it later, _he told himself. Eventually he found himself on some balcony overlooking the giant city. The sun was going down in the west and was creating a vivid display of colors, ranging from a golden yellow, to a dark black of the shadows the tall buildings cast. _Well, here's a good a spot as any._ Obi-Wan sat down cross-legged on the balcony and closed his eyes, loosing himself in the force.

Obi-Wan has repeated the Jedi Code many times before. Every Jedi knew the Code and was often a way to realign themselves with the Force if they lost sight of it. Many who have come before often relied on the Code to guide their way through life, and used it to help others in crisis. These are the lines of a Jedi, and these are what Obi-Wan now repeated in his mind:

_There is no emotion, there is peace. _

_There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. _

_There is no passion, there is serenity. _

_There is no death, there is the Force._

* * *

Obi-Wan was so deep in his meditation that he didn't notice the sun slip past the skyline and turn Coruscant into a sparkling darkness. The last remaining hours of the day passed and he was fully immersed in the Force, not noticing the natural changes taking place around him. Day changed to sunset, then to twilight, then to night and Obi-Wan sat through it. The Temple became as silent as it could be, the only noise coming from the speeders in the ever-busy skylanes that passed by the Temple constantly. Obi-Wan was completely in tune with the Force and could sense the small vibrations that happened through it. While his vision was clouded by the grayness of the war in the galaxy, he could feel small ripples happening throughout the Force.

Suddenly, there was a change. A sudden spike in the darkness that Obi-Wan was only able to catch because he was meditating. It was small, but it was potent enough to startle Obi-Wan out of his meditating. His eyes opened with a snap and he looked around him before realizing that there was nothing near him. Frowning, he tried to focus on where this disturbance came from, but as quick as it came, the spike was gone. If it hadn't happened while Obi-Wan was meditating, he wouldn't have even noticed. Indeed, now that he thought about it, he couldn't tell if there was something that happened.

"Curious," he said out loud to himself. Then he noticed that his chronometer read 00:17 and decided he needed to go back to his quarters. Standing up slowly and bending his legs to get some of the blood flowing again, Obi-Wan walked back to his room and passed through the empty hallways of the temple. The only sounds now were the distant footfalls of another Jedi who was undoubtedly also going to his or her room. Obi-Wan got to his, and laid out on his mat and quickly fell sound asleep, with anticipation gnawing at the back of his mind for events to come in the soon to be future.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. **

* * *

_Coruscant: Jedi Temple- Anakin's Quarters_

After several hours of work, Anakin groaned and slumped back in his chair at his desk. The schematics for the modifications he wanted to make for the ships were not going very well. _I had hoped that we would have at least been able to get started before we got to Kuat, but now that looks unlikely,_ Anakin thought. _It's not the actual plan that's bad, the few engineers I've spoken with actually find it rather promising; it's just the implication that's the problem. The two systems aren't meant to be joined, and could create a mess of both of them if mixed. Of course, I could do it; I just need time to figure out how. _

Anakin rubbed his face and then leaned back over his desk. The plan that he had was to add some heavy SPHA (Self Propelled Heavy Artillery) turbolasers to his _Venator_-class ships in their ventral hanger bay. He knew that those ships were vulnerable when their flight decks were exposed, even with the powerful shielding around the area. A few well-placed shots could penetrate the shields and cripple a ship, such as Darkover had done at Bothawui to the _Firebird_. So Anakin had thought up a counter for that: you still expose yourself but you'll have an extra blaster pointed at where it hurts. If the ships were going to be vulnerable, at least make the enemy think twice about attacking.

But there were certain problems with having such a powerful weapon, such as the fact that it was not originally supposed to be on a ship in the first place. And that was one of the relatively _minor _problems. The list grows from being able to fit the SPHA in the hanger bay, to the power/energy conversion needed to work the thing. In short, it was going to be near impossible to accomplish.

And Anakin Skywalker was going to do it anyway.

Just not now.

Anakin groaned once again and pushed himself away from his desk. _I'm not going to get anything more done today, _he thought as he stood up and walked around his room.

Like most Jedi Knight quarters it had three rooms with one for the Knight, one for the Padawan, and a really small living room connecting them. Anakin's room was circular and semi-small, and aside from the refresher and shower, only had room for a bed, a closet, and a chair or two, staying in with the Jedi rule of not keeping material things. However, Anakin stretched the rule a bit in getting a work desk that took up most of the leftover space along with all the droid parts he salvaged which filled up most of the empty space in crates. The desk housed some of his 'pet projects' such as schematics for a modified speeder, new adjustments for his starfighter, and other plans like the SPHA one. A rough model of a fighter sat on the windowsill, the window being the only thing hat had a connection with the rest of the universe, letting Anakin look out through the glass upon the durasteel towers of Coruscant. And at that moment there was only one building that held Anakin's attention. 500 Republica.

_"Padmé"_. The name came to him in a reverent whisper. The source of all his joy, love, and hopes. His wife. Even after two years, the word 'wife' still sounded strange to him. Probably because the word was whispered behind closed doors when no one was near. If Anakin could, he would have shouted it uncaring of the consequences to the rest of the universe, saying, "Padmé Amidala is my wife!" But, as rationality and reality have a habit of doing, he did not. He was still a Jedi, and if he did the things he desired, or if the Council found out that he was married, he would be cast out of the Jedi Order.

And somewhere deep inside him, that thought scared him. If he was cast out, then he could not be sure that he could save those he cared about. He had failed before and had vowed never to make that mistake again: to never be late, and to never be weak. If he left the Order, he could not guarantee Padmé's safety if something happened to her, like what happened to his mom. No, he needed to stay with the Jedi for now to learn more and become a true "Hero with No Fear."

But that doesn't mean that he can't leave the temple for a couple of hours.

Succumbing to the urge to sneak away and see Padmé, Anakin went out of his room and went down to the Temple's hanger bay. _I'm sure nobody is going to miss me if I go away for a few hours. The day is almost over, so I can probably get away with the excuse that I'm going somewhere to eat. Temple food is not exactly high-class stuff so no one would blame me. _

Anakin walked down the nearly empty hallways, and exchanged a greeting of acknowledgement to the few who did the same. Only masters and some knights were walking about as most were busy doing other things or in the Temple's dining hall. The Temple was largely empty now days because of the war and the need for Jedi on the front lines. So Anakin did not attract much attention when he entered the hanger. It, like the rest of the temple, was largely empty of organic life as a few non-Jedi workers were working on various things, and the droids that were there buzzed and scurried past on their programed duties.

Anakin went over to the droid that was maintaining the speeders and said, "I'm going to take a speeder out for a while."

The droid looked at him and said. _"I'm sorry sir, but I'm not authorized to sign speeders out." _

"But I am." Another voice behind Anakin said in accented basic. He turned and saw a male Duro with a datapad come up behind him. "General Skywalker, I'm Sed Almay. So you want to borrow a speeder?"

"Yes I do. I'm going out to get something a bit more edible than the food here, so I'm going to be gone for a few hours." Anakin said, keeping with his cover story.

Sed gave a slight grin. "Understandable." He pressed a few keys on the pad and said; "Very well, I've checked you out for speeder four. Enjoy your food."

Anakin said thank you and went into the speeder that was closest. He turned it on and started to pilot the speeder out of the hanger. He caught the last snippet of dialogue between Sed and somebody else when Sed said, "Watch were you put that Jackar!" Then Anakin was in the airways of Coruscant.

* * *

Anakin piloted the speeder swiftly through the traffic lanes. He wanted to get to Padmé as fast as possible, but he decided that he should take the time to bring both of them dinner. He went to Dexter's Dinner to get dinner and after he got out of a four-armed hug, ended up with a large nerf steak and several pieces of fruit and vegetables from various planets. Gathering up his dinner and saying goodbye to Dex, he climbed back into his speeder and took off for 500 Republica.

It took him about five minuets to clear the major airways and land in the hanger for 500 Republica. Several other various speeders were parked there, ranging from previously owned to the latest model, but all showing personal signs of wealth from the beings that owned them. There were also several small space ships that people somehow managed to squeeze into the hanger. 500 Republica is residence for some of the most influential people on Coruscant, from bankers to politicians, and those people knew it.

* * *

Making sure nobody saw him, Anakin gathered up dinner, crept out of the speeder, and made his way to a turbolift. Luckily no one was inside the lift as he got in, and his journey up to Padmé's apartment went unobstructed as nobody got in the same lift. When he got to Padmé's level, Anakin slipped out of the lift and went to the door of Padmé's apartment. Anakin used to Force to open the door and had to quickly grab C-3PO as he was walking by before he made an exclamation of surprise.

"Shhhh." Anakin motioned, and as soon as 3PO stopped moving around, he lowered his hand that was covering 3PO's vocalizer. "Is Padmé home?" He asked.

3PO, after recovering from the shock on his systems of seeing his creator suddenly inside, said, "Yes, Mistress Padmé is indeed inside. She was just about to leave to get some dinner."

"Well," Anakin said as he motioned to his platter, "looks like we're staying in tonight 3PO."

"Oh that is wonderful to hear. Mistress Padmé has been tired from work today and I think she would enjoy staying here and resting."

Suddenly another voice called out from further inside the apartment. "3PO, are you talking to somebody?" A figure stepped around a corner and both humans had their breath caught in their throats. The galaxy stood still. Both of them looked at each other, almost expecting the other to disappear if they blinked.

"Anakin?" Padmé Amidala, senator of Naboo questioned.

Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight smiled and said dramatically, "I brought us dinner."

Padmé smiled and said, "Oh, that's wonderful Ani!" and rushed to give him a big hug.

"Whoa, careful!" Anakin said as he almost lost his grip on the platter as he was enveloped in a hug. He chuckled, "If all I need to do to get this much attention is bring food, I will happily bring food to you everyday."

"Oh Ani, you know that it's not the food that making me happy."

Anakin smiled, "I know what is though," and leaned down and kissed Padmé. They held that moment for a long time before they broke apart. "And seeing you makes me more than happy, my love."

Padmé sighed in content and rested her head against Anakin's chest. "It's been a long day."

"Tell me about it. How about we forget what happened today for a while and enjoy our meal before it's cold." Anakin suggested.

Padmé stepped back from him and said, "That sounds like a fine idea."

They both sat down at the table there and happily ate their meal. They talked about little things, like who was doing what, something new in the Coruscant gossip, and other things not relating to their occupations or the war. It was a silent promise between them that night to keep Jedi or Senatorial talk to a minimum at the most, and they tried their best to keep it. Somehow, they got through the meal and still had yet to talk about politics of any sort.

After finishing their meal, Anakin and Padmé moved themselves from the table and stood watching the last remaining sunlight disappear over the Coruscant landscape. As they held each other in silence, the last ray vanished and was replaced by the countless lights of the city's airspeeders, buildings, and other sources of illumination. Coruscant hardly noticed the change from light to dark, day and night, as always a new crowd rose up to wander the streets and airways depending on what time it was. Regardless of the natural day-night cycle, shops and other buildings closed or opened and the beings of the planet either went to their residences or came out of them. Anakin and Padmé saw all of this from their view on the veranda.

"I wish we could stay like this forever." Padmé said, breaking the silence between them. "Just to stay and watch the days go by without worrying about what we need to do, what others expect us to do."

Anakin smirked. "I'd love to do nothing else, except that we'd both go crazy from boredom. You would always be in politics, and I would always be doing Jedi things. I can't really see us doing anything different."

"Hmm, you're probably right." She said with a small laugh then rested her head against his chest again.

They stood like that for a long while, just enjoying each other's presence and letting their minds go from reality for a minute. Time stayed still for the couple, while the rest of the Galaxy continued on. For them, nothing else mattered, and nothing could interrupt the two from being together.

But once again as it usually does, reality came crashing back to them. Anakin groaned, realizing what the time was. "I'd better get going and return the speeder I borrowed from the Temple before people ask where I've been."

Padmé sighed, sad that their moment of bliss together was gone. "So soon?"

"Well, I've been gone a couple of hours and I might get in trouble for not returning it."

"So you're leaving me because of a speeder?" Padmé said jokingly, prompting Anakin for a response.

"Hey, no fair!" Anakin said with a little bit of mock whining in his voice. "You're much more important than a simple speeder. Besides, it's not even that good of a speeder."

"Oh Ani, ever since I met you, you've been messing around with every piece of machinery you could get your hands on."

"It keeps my hands from going somewhere else." Anakin said mischievously, and then patted Padmé on her bottom.

"Hey!" Padmé swirled around to confront him, but stopped when she saw that goofy grin on his face. "Oh Anakin, you're bad."

Still having that grin on his face, Anakin made his way to the door. "I'll choose to take that as a complement. I'll be seeing you in a few days after I get back."

Padmé raised a quizzical eyebrow. "And where are you going?"

Anakin sighed. "To take care of another old enemy who won't stay dead. You remember me telling you about Darkover?" He asked. When Padmé nodded, he continued. "Turns out that he's still alive and the Council has decided to attack him."

His wife frowned. "How long will you be gone this time?"

"The fleet the Council is gathering is meeting at Kuat in three, no two days from now, but I'm probably going tomorrow-_today_." He corrected himself again, noting the time. "I won't be gone for more than a week. I promise."

Padmé nodded slowly. "I'll hold you to that Anakin."

Anakin smiled. "Hey, it's me." He simply said, then he left much to his unwillingness. He wasn't ready to give up on the Jedi yet, and still had to keep their marriage a secret.

Going down back to the hanger, Anakin got in the borrowed speeder and raced off into the skies of Coruscant. Once he reached the Temple hanger, the doors automatically opened, registering the speeder's ID code as one of their own. Anakin set the speeder down in the spot he got it from, as there was no one left in the hanger.

He got out and was about to leave the hanger when he felt something and paused. It felt like a nail had punched him in the chest it was so sharp, but as quickly as he felt it, the figurative nail had left. Anakin's eyes widened at this unexpected event, but even more so because of what the nail had felt like. It was tainted by the Dark Side of the Force. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the source, but it was gone and he could only feel the natural flow of the Force from the Temple.

_What was that?_ Anakin thought. _Was it real, or was it just my imagination?_ He continued walking again, still having a ways to go before getting to his room. Anakin pondered the meaning of this spike in the Dark Side. _Is it because of Darkover? Did he cause that or was it the other Sith in the Galaxy?_ As he tried to find it, the only thing reminding him that it happened was in his own head.

He shook his head to keep himself awake enough so that he could get to his room. _All this can wait till tomorrow; I just want to get some sleep now._ He heard footsteps some distance behind him. _Probably another Jedi coming in from a late night as well._ Anakin reached his quarters and entered it. He could feel Ahsoka's presence coming from the other room as he stepped in and he gave himself a smile. She was coming along in her training nicely. He entered his own room to find everything _almost_ as he left it. He frowned and went over to his desk where he saw the problem. Several datapads were out of place. He looked down and saw what was on them, then he smiled knowingly to himself. The problems he had with his project had some help, as in it could now work. _Good ol' Snips, helping me do what cannot be done, _he thought. Double-checking the data he sighed in relief as he made sure it worked out.

He laid down on his bed mat, _which isn't as nearly as comfortable as Padmé's bed_, he thought. Nonetheless, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he quickly went into a sound sleep, thinking about ships and machines and Padmé.


End file.
